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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



















1 



* 'S. . * ■ ■ * 

Business House I 

THAT C 


I 

Jack Built 


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BY J. W. WARR 



! KAflari'lfl'jf:; ( 

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MOLINE, ILLINOIS : 

PLOWMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 

1896. X 









Copyright, 1894, J. W, Warr, 


Preface 



• I.ENGTHY preface to a book is a kind of admission by 


^ ^ the author that he has done something for which he 
owes the public either an apology or an explanation. 
The author of this work feels confident that those who 
read it will be entertained, instructed and benefited ; hence 
no apology for its existence is needed. Then, the motive 
of the work is made so plain that no explanation is neces’ 
sary ; hence it would appear that nothing remains but to 
make the formal introduction to the world. 

Dear Public : This is the Business House that Jack 
Built. May the acquaintance prove pleasant to you and 
profitable to 


THE AUTHOR. 



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is the House that Jack Built. 

This is the malt that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

This is the rat that ate the malt that 
lay in the house that Jack built. 

This is the cat that caught the rat 
that ate the malt that lay in the .house 
that Jack built. 

This is the dog that worried the cat 
that caught the rat that ate the malt 
that lay in the house that Jack built. 

This is the cow with the crumpled 
horn that tossed the dog that worried 
the cat that caught the rat that ate the malt that lay in the 
house that Jack built. 

This is the maiden all forlorn that milked the cow with the 
crumpled horn that tossed the dog that worried the cat that 
caught the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack 
built. 

This is the man all tattered and torn that married the maiden 
all forlorn that milked the cow with the crumpled horn that 
tossed the dog that worried the cat that caught the rat that ate 
the malt that lay in the house that Jack built. 

This is the priest all shaven and shorn that terminated mat- 
ters to the satisfaction and happiness of all the virtuous charac- 
ters. 

The foregoing beautiful allegory has hitherto been con- 
sidered and treated as a common nursery jingle, when a little 


X 


6 > The Business House that Jack Built. 

investigation should satisfy the most obtuse mind that its 
mission was a far higher one than a mere tickling of the fancy 
by a ludicrous repetition of words and phrases. To us it seems 
perfectly plain that the house that Jack built was a great com- 
mercial house. The malt was its immense business ; the rat 
was some dishonest employe ; the cat the virtuous and faithful 
one ; the dog was evidently some outside accomplice of the 
wicked clerk ; the cow with the crumpled horn was intended to 
typify crooked practices, which the maiden all forlorn (mani- 
festly science) milked or drew out. The man all tattered and 
torn of course represents truth, and the inevitable marriage 
shows that the reward of virtue is happiness. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


7 


Chapter I 

INTRODUCING JACK. 

believe that the only time that little 
Jack Wharton was ever called John 
was on the day of his christening. 
There are names just as there are gar- 
ments, which are recognized as misfits. 
Sometimes the name, which is too long 
and large for the individual, is cut 
down, just as Thomas becomes Tom, 
and Richard, Dick. Now a boy may 
be named John, and if he turns out 
to be a good, honest, well-meaning boy, 
of about the average of human good- 
ness, and no very startling propensities tending to reverse the 
revolutionary motion of the world, the chances are that he 
will always be called John. 

If, however, he proves to have decided individuality, is 
possessed of “snap” and vim, with a peculiar dash and force 
which means business, social qualities which have a recognized 
attractive power and which have the happy faculty of bringing 
minds to a common level, it becomes almost a certainty that he 
will be called Jack. 

Our little hero, who was twelve years old when our story 
opens, was a practical illustration of this principle. He was 
known everywhere and by everybody as Jack. Even the minis- 
ter saw the incongruity of addressing as J-o-h-n this little bundle 
of nerve force. 

One day Jack was silent for five consecutive minutes. Had 
this been noticed it would have given rise to feelings of alarm, 
for such a thing had never been known to occur before. The 
explanation came when Jack suddenly exclaimed : 

“ Uncle Tom ! ” 

“ Well, Jack,” responded the individual addressed. 



8 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ I ’ve got an original conundrum for you, Uncle Tom.” 

“ Well, out with it.” 

‘ ‘ Here it is, then : Can you tell me the difference between 
me and a certain carpenter’s tool ? ” 

“Why, of course,” said Uncle Tom, who was very literal 
indeed, and was never known to comprehend a joke until the 
point was explained entirely away. “It is because one is a boy 
and the other is a machine.” 

“Missed it!” exclaimed Jack, triumphantly. “Give it 
up? Well, the difference is that I am plain Jack, while the 
other is a jack plane I ” 



THK DIFFERENCB IS THAT I AM PLAIN JACK, WHILE THE OTHER 
IS A JACK PLANE. 


“Ah !” said Uncle Tom, solemnly, not a whit the wiser 
regarding the points of difference. Jack’s father, however, 
happened to hear it, and his face assumed a troubled expression. 
He had for a long time been trying to discover the bent of Jack’s 
genius in order to educate him for his business or profession. 
Like other boys. Jack had his impulses in every direction. 
When he went to the circus, he felt quite sure that the height 


The Business House that Jack Built. 9 

of his ambition would be attained if he could only become a 
clown. As the opposite extreme, when he noted the wonderful 
power of a preacher’s visit in causing yellow-legged pullets to 
render up their lives and the cupboards and closets to disgorge 
their hidden treasures; more wonderful still, to sweeten cross 
old Aunt Jane almost to a smiling point, he felt that next to 
being a clown he would certainly like to be a preacher. There 
was one drawback, however, to this calling. That was the 
necessity (to use his own words) for being so “ all fired good.”^ 
But Jack, of course, judged wholly by exteriors. 

But, to resume : 

» What was there about Jack’s conundrum to cloud his father’s 
brow and fill his mind with the gravest apprehensions ? It was 
the painful thought that this, his only son, instead of being 
a bright light in the world, an ornament to society and a bless- 
ing and help to his fellow creatures, might rush headlong in the 
other direction by becoming an American Humorist ! Can you 
wonder at the father’s sadness over the contemplation of this 
possible future ? How to prevent such a catastrophe — this was 
the problem which for several hours the father’s mind was exer- 
cised in trying to solve. After some time his countenance cleared,, 
and, looking up, he said in a tone of semi-inquiry : 

“Jack ?’’ 

“Yes, sir,’’ responded the boy. 

“ Come here and sit down,’’ said Mr. Wharton, “ I ’ve some- 
thing serious to say to you.’’ 

Jack didn’t like this kind of an introduction. With him 
serious and unpleasant were one and the same path which led 
to destruction — of his pea^^e of mind. He was fully satisfied 
that he was going to “catch it,” although he hadn’t time to 
run over his catalogue of offenses to determine what particular 
one he was about to expiate. He instantly sat down beside his 
father as indicated, and prepared for the inevitable. 

“Jack,” asked his father, “ do you know how old you are? ” 

“Old enough to know better, I s’ pose,” answered Jack, 
anticipating the expected reproof. 

Mr. Wharton smiled at his son’s natural mistake, and said : 
“ You are mistaken in the purpose of my question, my boy. I 
have n’t called you here to scold you, but to talk to you in regard 


lO 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


to a very important matter. Now, I ask again, do you know 
how old you are ? ” 

“Yes, sir; twelve, going on thirteen, since the seventeenth 
day of last March.” 

“Just so; and how many years have you been going to 
school ? ” 

“ Mostly six.” 

“ And what have you learned at school in that time ? ” 

“ Lemme see,” said Jack, meditatively. “ I learned base ball, 
Arithmetic, jacks, mumble-peg, writing, skittles, geography, 
pomp-pomp pull-away, follow-my-leader, grammar, egg-sucken’ 
— no, I learned that at camp-meetin’ — and — O, slathers and 
slathers of other things.” 

“ Well, Jack, you are so very proficient in many of those 
branches that I think it is high time for you to graduate. Now, 
sir, you expect to be a man some day, and I want you to be 
a credit to yourself and family. I want to prepare you to fill 
some honorable place in business or in one of the professions. 
Now, have you ever considered what you would like to be when 
you grow up ? ” 

“Well, pa,” answered Jack, after some consideration, “I 
helieve I ’d like to be an Injun chief, or the captain of a pirate 
boat, or a bare-back circus rider, or a policeman — and — I 
ain’t certain, but I think I ’d like to be president.” 

“Just as might be expected; you have no idea of what 
you want. However, that’s natural at your age, and it only 
leaves me the responsibility of deciding for you. Now, after 
considering the matter very seriously, I have decided to give 
you a kind of preparatory course of business training.” 

“ What kind of a training is that, pa ? ” asked Jack, who had 
a misgiving that its character was not wholly unlike the dis- 
cipline his liveliness had so frequently led him to undergo at 
school. 

“ Business training,” replied Mr. Wharton, “ is the prepara- 
tion afforded by a knowledge of the principles, practices and 
customs of business. I don’t know as you will ever be a 
merchant or follow clerical pursuits, but it is very certain that 
whatever you may be, a knowledge of the right method of con- 
ducting business affairs is something you can not afford to be 


II 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

without. So, as a very good way for you to continue your 
education for a time, by observation and practice, I am going 
to have you go into business.” 

“ O, cracky, pa ! ” exclaimed Jack, all animation, “ gimme 
ten thousand dollars and I ’ll start a bank.” 

“Indeed,” answered his father, gravely, “you are quite 
certain that you know how to run a bank successfulh^ ? ’ ’ 

“ Well, pa, perhaps I don’t know every little thing about 
banking, but I could learn as I went along, j^ou know.” 

“ Of course 5^ou could, and one of the first things you would 
, learn would be the ease with which you could lose ten thousand 
dollars. Older heads by far than yours. Jack, are every day 
making plans just as heedless as yours. Men will put their 
capital into a business they know nothing about, and in that 
blind-folded condition dash ahead, expecting to gain money and 
experience at the same time. I suppose, my son, you know how 
to swim ? ’ ’ 

“You bet!” 

“Leave off using those low, vulgar expressions, Jack. To 
you it seems manlike, but to sensible men it appears very foolish. 
These gymnastic distortions of speech are as much out of place 
in a conversation as it would be to salute company in the draw- 
ing room by standing on your head and cracking your feet 
together. But, to return to our topic of conversation : I infer 
that you know how to swim. Now let me ask you, did you 
learn by jumping at once into deep water and trusting that you 
would learn to swim out ? ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ Why no, pa, of course not. I never went in water over my 
head until I could swim a long, long ways in shallow water.” 

‘ ‘ And you were very prudent in so doing. In that respect 
you displayed more caution than many business men show. It 
would be possible for a person, ignorant of the art of swimming, 
to jump into a deep pond and finally struggle out, but it must be 
remembered the chances are against him. So a person engaging 
in business about which he knows nothing has to fight against 
ten chances of failure to one of success.” 

“ But, pa, I ’ve seen boys who could n’t swim a stroke go out 
ever so far in the deepest water, and they did n’t get drowned.” 

“ Ah, and how do you account for that. Jack ? ” 


12 The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ I d’no, unless it was because they got on a slab.” 

“ Yes, and to carry out the illustration, all that keeps some 
business men afloat are the faithful slabs in the form of honest 
and intelligent employes, who carry them through the deep 
places. But suppose a swimmer selects a slab which is rotten, 
and which instead of buoying him up pulls him down, you can 
see he has gained nothing by his imaginary support. I have no 
doubt there are thousands of business men to day who know 
comparatively nothing about their financial condition, trusting 
everything to their clerks. It is well for a person to have confi- 
dence in those associated with him, but a blind and ignorant 
confidence is nothing but recklessness. But my sermonizing 
is making you sleepy. Jack, so I ’ll merely assign you your 
course of business training and let you off. I want to let 
you know, then, that I am going to try to get you a place in the 
large wholesale house of John Williamson. I shall write my 
letter to him this evening, and I want you. Jack, to write 
yours.” 

” Why, what have I to write about, pa ? ” 

“ I want you to make a formal application to Mr. William- 
son for a position in his house. From your letter he will be 
able to form some idea of your character. Write the letter and 
bring it to me ; I shall probably be afibrded the opportunity of 
making some few corrections. Now, off to your task at once.” 

Off bounded Jack, muttering, when out of his father’s 
hearing : ” Pa thinks I do n’t know how^ to write a business let- 
ter. Just wait till he sees what I can do, and maybe he won’t 
open his peepers ! O, no, of course he won’t ! ” 

This last was intended as a masterly stroke of sarcasm. He 
had his own ideas regarding a business letter, and the following 
chapter will show what they were. 




The Business House that Jack Built. 


13 


Chapter II. 



JACK S BU'SINKSS BETTER. 

fE left Jack in a slightly indignant frame of 
mind because his father had expressed a 
want of confidence in his ability to write a 
business letter. He determined to show him 
that in this respect, at least, he was an under- 
rated boy. Under the inspiration of this purpose 
he lost no time in getting his writing materials together 
and commencing his task. It was quite evident that 
he intended to make this the master effort of his life, for fully 
two hours had expired before this letter was completed and 
enclosed in an envelope, duly addressed. But an expression of 
triumph was on his face, and it was quite evident that he felt 
that in this document he had a crushing rejoinder to his father’s 
imputation of his ignorance of the art of correspondence. So 
off went Jack with skip and bound to confront him with this 
evidence of his epistolary abilities. He soon found him, and he 
happened to be at liberty to give his son’s letter an immediate 
examination. Uncle Tom was in the room, and as he handed 
the letter to his father, he bestowed upon that sympathetic indi- 
vidual a wink, as a sly hint that certain rich developments 
might be expected. Uncle Tom nodded his head in a very 
sagacious manner and his countenance assumed an expression of 
profound wisdom. The predicted developments came, but were 
not quite of the nature that Jack expected. Mr. Wharton first 
examined the superscription on the envelope and remarked : 
“You have the address all here, Jack; the name, postoffice, 
county and state, but ^ou have commenced it on the upper por- 
tion of the envelope, continuing it to the extreme right and 
leaving no room for the stamp or postmark. Of course these 
may be attached to the lower part of the letter, but it gives the 
letter an odd, slovenly and careless appearance. This letter is 
liable to have the name almost obliterated by the postmark, 


H 


The Business House that Jack Built. * 

which would not be the case if you commenced the superscrip- 
tion so as to occupy about the lower half of the envelope, leaving^ 
the upper half for stamp and postmarks. There is another fault 
about this address which is much more serious than the one I 
have just alluded to : What is the meaning of all these con- 
tortions of lines and curves ? ’ ’ 

“ Why, pa, those are flourishes,” exclaimed Jack, feeling at 
heart very indignant at hearing his chirographic embellish- 
ments described as contortions. 

“Ah,” commented Mr. Wharton, “they are flourishes, are 
they ? And what particular use are they intended to serve ? ” 

“To make the address look nice.” 

“ To-make-the-address-look-nice,” mused Jack’s father, hold- 
ing the letter out at arm’s length and examining it apparently 
very critically. “ Well, perhaps it serves the purpose, but I am 
afraid it would excite the admiration of only a select few. But 
seriously, Jack, this idea of using these chirographic embellish- 
ments on a business letter is not only useless, but it is in ex- 
ceedingly bad taste. When you go out into the garden to work 
you don’t put on all the finery you can command, with a 
bouquet at your button-hole, a perfumed handkerchief in your 
pocket and a fashionable fancy necktie around your neck. 
Of course not ; you have sense enough to see that when you ga 
into the garden to work you dress for work and nothing else. 
Very well ; the mission of a business letter is business, not 
fine art or estheticism, but business, which means nothing less 
than work. So I condemn this envelope, and require you to 
address another, neatly and plainly, and without unnecessary 
strokes or curves.” 

Jack now felt that his triumph would be a modified one. 

Mr. Wharton broke the seal, took out the communication 
and continued his criticisms : 

“You commence with the fault which I presume gives more 
trouble to the recipients of business letters than all others 
combined. You neglect to give your full postoffice address 
on the date line. In this case you have given the name of your 
town, but not your state, and if you will look in the postoffice 
directory you will find that nearly every state has a postoffice 
of this name. I have had my patience severely tried scores 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


15 


of times by people who wrote important communications needing 
immediate attention, which I could not give, simply because the 
only address they gave was the name of their town. Of course 
I was accused of inattention to business, and rarely had an 
opportunity of informing the writers of these communications 
that the fault was theirs, not mine.” 

Jack had no defense to make, and his father continued : “I 
am sorry to see the same bad taste displayed in the penmanship 
of your letter that I noted on the envelope. All these extra 
curves and fanciful strokes take time to execute, and in business 
time^ is money. Pen art is a nice accomplishment and perfectly 
proper in its place, but it no more belongs to a business letter 
than an oil painting to a blacksmith shop.” 

Jack fidgeted uneasily in his chair and began to feel that 
his father’s criticisms were becoming pointed. 

Mr. Wharton resumed : “You commence your letter with 
the words, ‘ dear sir.’ To whom are you writing it ? Perhaps 
I have got hold of the wrong communication.” 

” The letter is directed on the envelope to John Williamson,’^ 
answered Jack. 

“So I perceive, but the envelope is not the letter. The 
envelope contains on it the message to the postoffice department, 
and when the letter arrives at its destination the envelope is 
thrown into the waste basket. There is no evidence on this 
sheet that the letter was intended for Mr. Williamson. Should 
it be lost on the street or get into wrong hands there are no 
means in it of identifying the owner. Always comjnence a letter, 
after dating it, by giving the full name and address of the person 
you are sending it to. Without this the letter is not complete. 
Besides this, every business house copies its letters by means of 
a copying press, and it is sometimes very important to know 
whether a letter was properly addressed when it was sent out. 
And now for the message itself.” 

Mr. Wharton read the letter over very carefully, but Jack, 
with all his vivid powers of imagination, could not detect on his 
father’s features any strong marks of approval. We will take an 
author’s liberty of glancing over Mr. Wharton’s shoulder and 
reading Jack’s letter. 

Here it is : 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


i6 



1 



17 


i he Business House that Jack Built. 

“Well, Jack,” observed Mr. Wharton, as he refolded the 
letter, “I must say that there is a consistency in your letter 
throughout. In your penmanship you use three strokes when 
one would answer the purpose better, and in your composition 
you have at least three superfluous words to one which is 
necessary to convey the meaning. Your high-sounding adjec- 
tives and grandiloquent expressions correspond quite well with 
your penmanship, which is buried in worse than useless 
flourishes. A business letter is one of the machines of commerce, 
and the simpler you' can make a machine the better it will work. 
Every useless word in a letter should be ciit off, just as you 
reniove every unnecessary part of a machine. There is nothing 
more beautiful in a business letter than directness, simplicity and 
plainness. This letter would utterly destroy your chances for 
securing a position with Mr. Williamson, even should I be so 
foolish as to allow you to send it. So burn this, Jack, just 
as you would any other piece of fireworks, and then write 
Mr. Williamson a business letter. Say what you intend to 
say concisely, clearly and with only one meaning. Remember 
that the less words you can use to convey your meaning, the 
more valuable the letter will appear to Mr. Williamson. Of 
course much of the business correspondence of the present day 
is dictated to an amanuensis, but the same rules should apply in 
dictation. Time in business is money, and none of it should be 
wasted in a business letter. Business correspondence, I am 
sorry to say, is too much neglected in our system of popular edu- 
cation. Business colleges make a specialty of this branch of 
education, but in our public schools it is either entirely neglected 
or given occasional attention in a hap-hazard way. Now, try 
again, Jack, and I warn you that I shall insist upon your keeping 
on trying until you produce a letter that I shall not be ashamed 
to have sent to Mr. Williamson.” 

This was a far different termination of this scene than our 
little hero had expected, and with head bowed in humility. Jack 
went off, feeling, as he afterwards expressed it to Uncle Tom, 
“ like a wet rag.” 

He at once applied himself to his work, and after writing and 
destroying about half a dozen letters, he returned to his father 
with the following result : 


/ 


i8 


The Business House that Jack Built. 



// /rfs 




ay^ 






The letter was a model of simplicity and plainness, and it 
was quite evident that Mr. Wharton approved the entire pro- 
duction, for he remarked : “Jack, that letter is business, and this 
lesson in correspondence will prove one of the most valuable you 
ever learned. If you can reform other mistakes in life as readily 
as you have this one, your future should be a great success.’* 
Jack felt so good over his final triumph that he felt compelled to 
bound into the yard and turn a series of hand-springs. He then 
dashed off to the postofiSce and mailed this most important letter. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


19 


Chapter III. 

jack’s departure. 

A FEW days Jack received an answer to his 
letter, stating very briefly that his applica- 
tion had been favorably considered and that 
he might come to the city and he would be 
assigned a position in the office. Jack now 
considered that his fortune was as good as 
made. He had given the matter very careful 
consideration and had mapped out his future career. It ran 
something in this wise : For the first three months he would 
perform common office duties. Then his great talents and busi- 
ness tact would be discovered, and he would be made assistant 
bookkeeper. Then, in the course of a few months, something 
would happen which would compel the head bookkeeper to 
vacate his position, and he. Jack Wharton, would naturally be 
called to fill it. 

But this position would not be held by him long, for his 
genius would find more scope as Business Manager. Thus 
matters would stand for some time, until his fidelity to the busi- 
ness would be rewarded by being admitted as a partner. Then 
would follow a career of grand commercial triumphs, culminat- 
ing in the retirement of his aged partner, and leaving him occu- 
pying the proud and honored position, sole proprietor of the 
great Business House that Jack Built. 

Now my readers must not conclude that our little hero was a 
visionary because he laid out such wild plans. He was simply 
full of energy and courage, and had sufiicient confidence in his 
own abilities to believe that he could win. Fvery young man 
needs to be inspired with just that kind of courage. A boy who 
looks at the future with fear and trembling, and is constantly 
tormented with doubts of his ability to succeed, is a pitiable 
object, and if he ever rises when a man, above commonplace, 
it will be by the intervention of a miracle or by the influence of 
a strong-minded wife. 



20 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


* But the time for Jack’s departure, after the longest week he 
had ever experienced, arrived. His father decided to go with 
him and see that he was properly settled down. Uncle Tom, to 
whom Jack had imparted all his confidences, and who fully 
believed everything his promising nephew told him, was quite 
as much interested as any of the party. The following conversa. 
tion between him and Jack took place on the morning of his 
departure : 

“ And so. Jack, you are going to be a great merchant ! Well, 
well ! who would have thought it ? Why it seems but a few 
months ago that you were a little boy, playing marbles, turning 
hand-springs and running away to go in swimming, and now 
here you are, ready to draw your checks for millions, buying 
whole shiploads of wheat and sending it off to foreign countries. 
Like as not you ’ll be buying a controlling interest in a railroad 
or legislature, jockey-club, pool or custom-house ring, and get so 
rich you won’t know what to do with your money.” 

Uncle Tom had read of these forms of investments, and judg- 
ing solely from their popularity thought they must be very 
desirable. 

”0, no. Uncle Tom,” answered Jack, deprecatingh^ “I 
shan’t have anything of that kind to do for months and months 
yet. I expect to have to take a very low position at first.” 

” Well, now, Jack, I do n’t see the sense of that. You admit 
yourself that you are competent to fill any position in an office.” 

” Yes, but how are my employers going to find it out before 
I work a while ? ’ ’ 

“Why, tell them ! ” answered Uncle Tom, very positively. 
“Own up like a man, that you ’ve got talents and want to use 
’em where they ’ll do the best service. For instance, now, how 
many letters could you write for ’em in a day ? ” 

“ O, six or eight, at the lowest calculation.” 

“Just think of that, now ! Six or eight letters in a day ! 
Now it takes me a whole day to write one letter ; and then if I ’m 
in anyways particular about the spelling and the capital letters, 
it takes longer than that. But six or eight in one day — 
cracky ! but won’t that astonish ’em ! ” 

It will be seen that Uncle Tom’s ideas of the requirements of 
a business house were crude — very crude. 


The Business House that Jack Built. 21 

“O, I’ll show ’em a thing or two, Uncle Tom,” answered 
Jack, very complacently. 

“ Then you are going to make a very serious mistake,” said 
Jack’s father, who had entered the room in time to catch the 
closing remark. “This is an error arising in many cases from 
an excess of zeal, but it is one that has proven fatal to the pros- 
pects of many a young aspirant. Uet me advise you to enter 
upon your duties with a’l ideas of exciting surprise at any 
dexterity you think you may possess kept in the background. 
There is only one aim that I would have you keep prominently 
in mind, and that is thoroughness of execution. Time is a 
secondary consideration. When you are assigned a task your 
first thought should be how to do it in the very best way. No 
matter how insignificant it may appear, you should remember 
that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. You will 
gain more approbation from your employers by doing one thing 
well, if you take a whole day for it, than by doing a hundred 
things in the same time and doing them imperfectly. But you 
must be actuated by a loftier purpose than the approbation of 
others. Do whatever you undertake well, not because it will 
secure approval, but from a feeling in your own mind that every- 
thing should be done right on principle. Show that you are 
thorough, not because others require it, but because it satisfies 
yojurself, and you will, in the end, establish a much better repu- 
tation for yourself than by marking out your duties by the line 
of policy.” 

“ Quite correct. Jack,” assented Uncle Tom, who always 
agreed with the one who produced the last argument. “The 
best way to do anything correctly is — to do it right.” And 
this old worthy, in this expression of an obvious truth, felt no 
little degree of satisfaction in hitting the nail so squarely on the 
head. 

But we must pass over the scenes incident to Jack’s depart- 
ure ; and, as our readers are no doubt anxious to note Jack’s 
progress in his new vocation, we will suppose the final words of 
exhortation spoken by a fond mother, a proud sister and a doting 
and simple uncle, and we will imagine Jack and his father 
safely at their journey’s end, and awaiting instructions in the 
office of John Williamson. 


22 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter IV. 

IN THE BEGINNING. 

tter of courage and self-confidence Jack 
had a good supply, but he was con- 
scious of certain vague misgivings, 
now that he was actually face to face 
with his future difficulties and struggles. 

He experienced the sensations of a 
bather who is about to take a plunge 
into a cold stream : He knows that 
the disagreeable feelings will be but 
momentary — the sudden shock to the 
system will cause a gasp or two, but 
in a moment the uncomfortable gives 
way to the luxurious, which amply repays the little temporary 
inconvenience. Jack glanced around the office. The furniture 
was all massive and solid. A large double desk, evidently in- 
tended for the bookkeeper, was arranged in such a position that 
the light would come from the left hand side of the writer, so 
that the shadow would not obscure the pen. On this desk lay 
huge books which rather painfully impressed Jack with the 
immense character of the business, making him feel that his esti- 
mate of the time required to learn the business was a trifle too 
low. There was ledger F, for instance, sales-book G, cash- 
book E, bill-book C, etc., showing that this array, voluminous 
as it appeared, was only a part of a mammoth whole. There 
were several smaller desks in the office and a long narrow table. 
At this table sat a young man who instantly riveted Jack’s atten- 
tion. He was engaged in arranging and filing letters, but this 
was not what aroused Jack’s interest. It was the striking ap- 
pearance of this individual, whom we will attempt to describe. 
At the first glance you would take him for a green boy. The 
second glance would convince you that he was a little, beardless, 
old man. You would look again and pronounce him both. His 



23 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

complexion was florid, his hair very coarse and half way in- 
clined to be yellow. His nose was a peculiarity, terminating in 
a kind of a knob, which suggested a severe bump in infancy, 
causing a swelling which had never gone down. His eyes were 
small and so nearly colorless that they might be called tinted. 
His manner was irregular and somewhat awkward and nervous. 
Happening to look up he met Jack’s gaze, and at once blushed 
from his neck to the roots of his hair. His agitation was further 
indicated by his tipping over the mucilage bottle and, in his 
efforts to restore it to place, knocking down an inkstand. The 
application of some blotting pads removed the ink from the 
table, by which time he had recovered his composure. Jack 
instinctively experienced a feeling of friendship for this young 
man. He rather liked him, not in spite of his apparent peculi- 
arities, but because of them. Moreover, he had expected to find 
very dignified, proud and stylish young men occupying the office, 
who would for a time look upon him with as much careless 
indifference as they would upon a new article of office furniture. 
But here was a young man who, it was very plain, had no such 
feelings, and Jack felt that he must know him at once. An 
opportunity soon offered itself. The young man had evidently 
misplaced something, and was turning over his papers in search 
of the missing article. Jack noticed that the ruler had slipped 
off the table while he was rectifying the mishap of the inkstand 
and the mucilage bottle, and thought that that might be the 
object of search. So, stepping forward, he picked up the ruler 
and handed it to him, with the question : “ Was this what you 
were looking for, sir ? ” 

“ O, yes ; thank you, sir ; thank you,” answered the young 
man, taking the article from Jack’s hand. Then he paused a 
moment and said : “I hope I ’m not too inquisitive, but maybe 
you are young Mr. Wharton that Mr. Williamson was expect- 
ing ? ” 

” Yes ; Jack Wharton, that ’s my name, and I ’m glad to see 
you,” responded Jack, warmly. 4 

The young man thereupon arose and grasping Jack’s hand 
said: “I am quite delighted to see you, Mr. Wharton. My 
name is Hanlon, Bob Hanlon, though sometimes I write my 
name R. Fred Hanlon and again Rob F. Hanlon. However, I 


24 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


am called Bob around the office, and I will take it as a favor if 
you will call me Bob at once, as it confuses me to be called Mr. 
Hanlon.” 

” And you may call me Jack, if you please,” responded our 
hero, ” for it is the only name I am used to. Father and I just 
arrived this morning, and we are now waiting to see Mr. Wil- 
liamson.” 

” Well, it 's rather early yet for him. He is not usually here 
before nine o’clock, and it ’s only half-past eight now. I ’m 
usually the first one here. The salesmen, shipping clerk, bill 
clerk and cashier get here soon after I do. The bookkeeper, Mr. 
Noel, usually gets here by this time ; and here he is now.” 

As he spoke, a very fine-looking man, a little under middle 
age, entered, and, greeting Mr. Wharton, was soon in ani- 
mated conversation with him. 

“Now, then,” said Bob, “suppose I show you over the 
establishment. I don’t suppose you will be wanted for a few 
minutes, and the present time will be as good as any for a 
hurried inspection.” 

“I’m agreed,” assented Jack, and the two started off to- 
gether. They had but just left the office when an old gentle- 
man of about sixty entered, who, quickly recognizing Mr. 
Wharton, extended him a warm, hearty greeting — one of the 
cordial, old-fashioned kind. 

“Well, well, Ned!” he exclaimed, after he had finally 
relinquished his visitor’s hand ; “it really rejuvenates me to .see 
you again. Let me see ; it ’s now fifteen years since we dis- 
solved our partnership in the old country store, you going off to 
practice law, and I to double my income and treble my troubles 
in a big city by the establishment of the house of John William- 
son.” 

“Your troubles do not seem to have left their accustomed 
traces,” replied Mr. Wharton, laughing, “unless we take old 
Jack Falstaff’s theory, ‘ A plague upon sighing and grief ; it 
tlows a man up like a bubble.’ With the exception of a slight 
inflation of your physique, and a few gray hairs, I don’t see but 
what you are as young as ever.” 

“And yet, I assure you, I haven’t escaped my share of 
trouble. But I don’t complain. On the whole I have more 


25 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

reasons for rejoicing than mourning. However, it ’s not neces- 
sary to speak of those things now. You brought your son with 
you, I suppose ? ” 

“Yes, he has stepped out of the office with one of your 
young men.” 

“ The young man who occupies that table ? ” 

‘ ‘ The same. ’ ’ 

“Ah ! Bob Hanlon. But how in the world did thev get 
acquainted so soon ? 

“Really, I am unable to say. I was engaged reading the 
f)aper and did not notice how the overtures of acquaintanceship 
were made.” 

“ Well, this brings us to a matter on which I must have a 
talk with you. This Bob Hanlon is a queer genius, and when 
I say genius I use the word in its literal sense. He is a young 
man of fine ability, but is all out of balance. He is like a 
machine made up of curious and ingenious parts, but they do n’t 
fit well together and the steam that runs it is unable to make 
them act harmoniously. You can imagine the effect. The 
steam is turned on and all its force is expended on one wheel, 
which whizzes away for awhile until another part relieves it. I 
mean to say by this that he can’t apply his mental force in 
the right manner. For instance, he will take up something new 
and work at it with an intemperate zeal day and night until he 
has worn off the novelty, and then that is dropped for some- 
thing fresher. He is the only son of a widow whom the pay of 
his position here enables him to support. He has been here a 
number of years, and yet I have been unable to advance him but 
very little, because of this sky-rocket tendency of his to fly off 
on some new notion, which unfits his mind for the discharge of 
the monotonous duties of every-day business. If I could give 
him something entirely new every three or four days, I couldn’t 
desire a more faithful and zealous clerk than he would make me, 
but, of course, I can’t do that, so I assign him duties where 
his mind can do one thing and his hands another, and no par- 
ticular damage is done. Now, what I want to consult you about 
is this : Mrs. Hanlon would be very glad to have your son as a 
boarder. She would make him very comfortable, and be a 
mother to him, I feel assured, and yet I hesitate as to the pro- 


26 


/ 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

priety of advising you to place your son there on account of the 
influence which Bob’s peculiar traits of character might exert.” 

‘‘Make yourself easy on that score, then,” answered Mr. 
Wharton, ‘‘for Jack’s character is so radically different that I 
could not anticipate any danger from the causes you mention. 
Jack (for that is what we call him) has in his , nature a trait 
which we might designate as mulish pertinacity. When his 
mind is fully made up to achieve a certain thing, he follows it 
up with unflinching determination until he meets with success or 
utter failure. I hardly know, sometimes, whether this one 
idea tendency of his should be checked or encouraged.” 

‘‘Encourage it, by all means ! ” exclaimed Mr. Williamson, 
warmly. ” I tell you the world owes all its improvements to 
one-idea men, as they are called. Give me the man who can 
take one thing and study over it, improve it, throw his whole 
force on it, fight for it and finally conquer, and you may have 
a thousand of your Scatter-brains who can do anything and 
everything, but never rise above mediocrity.” 

‘‘ I agree with you there. A versatile genius is like a babb- 
ling brook — very picturesque, poetical and all that, but it needs 
something deep and strong to turn the wheels of a mill. But 
here are the objects of our discussion returned. Mr. William- 
son, permit me to introduce to you my son. Jack.” 

‘‘ I am glad to welcome you to our office,” said Mr. William- 
son. ‘‘ I have no doubt you will be quite an acquisition to the 
house. Mr. Noel, this is Mr. Wharton’s son, of whom I spoke 
to you. You will assign him his duties to-morrow morning.” 

‘‘ I am happy to know you,” replied Mr. Noel, ‘‘ and I hope 
our relations will always be pleasant.” 

Surely Jack’s entrance in the new path was thus far strewn 
with flowers. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


27 


Chapter V. 



‘ A little learning is a dangerous thing, 

Drink deep, or taste not the Pyerian spring.” 

CHARACTER of Robert Hanlon is a type of a 
mighty army, which, without leadership or 
discipline, is always on the march toward defeat. We 
hope our readers, and especially the younger portion, 
^ill note carefully the traits of character which distinguished 
this individual, and profit by the lesson which is intended to be 
conveyed. It is our intention to show by this portraiture why 
so many people live and die failures, whose talents and abilities 
if rightly directed would make their lives as conspicuous for 
their success. In our career as a teacher it has pained us to 
note the waste of power, energy and mental force which is 
occasioned by inability or disinclination to concentrate the mind 
upon one channel, but rather, by allowing it to be. divided by 
whim or caprice in different directions, its force is destroyed. 
Too many young men make the great mistake of supposing that 
the wider their field of knowledge extends the more extensive is 
their education. Strength and power lie in depth, not breadth. 
There are thousands of men living to-day who are walking 
cyclopedias of knowledge, but who, so far as their practical use 
in society is concerned, are, and always will be, nonentities. 
They are men of capacity. They can hold an unlimited quan- 
tity of knowledge, but have not the inherent force necessary to 
utilize it. Every improvement in the arts and sciences owes its 
origin to specialists, men of limited knowledge, in its general 
sense, perhaps, but men who can bring all their mental force to 
bear upon one subject ; who have patience to study, investigate, 
experiment and labor until the practical result, which has been 
the object of search, is at last attained. 

Force, push, enterprise and vim are all necessary to con- 
summate the achievement of any enterprise, but they need 
governing and directing, and without this power a mind, no 
matter how strong it may be, can produce no fruitful results. 


28 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


But let us take an author’s privilege of following Jack and 
Bob to the house which for years would be the home of both. 
Jack was delighted with the prospect of future enjo5^ments by so 
close an association with his newly- made friend, and Bob was 
highly elated with the arrangement which he felt assured would 
secure for him a confidential companion. He possessed a simple, 
childish nature, which naturally craved sympathy, *and Jack 
seemed to enter into his feelings so readily that he won his en- 
tire confidence at once. 



The place where Bob and his mother resided was about ten 
minutes' walk from the office. It was a medium-sized cottage, 
almost buried in trees, shrubbery and plants, which gave it a 
very home-like appearance. It did not contain that social 
abomination, a front parlor, but every room had an expression 
of welcome and seemed designed for comfort and not as an ad- 
vertisement of social standing. Mrs. Hanlon was a mother in 
the old-fashioned sense. Bob was her only son, and on him she 
lavished a wealth of affection, unrestricted by the exactions of 


29 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

society or the caprices of fashion. She loved him, toiled for him, 
educated him, and endeavored to supply everything necessary 
for his advancement, simply because he was her son, forgetting 
herself completely and merging her existence in his. As her 
nature thus became blended with his, she was in full sympathy 
with him in all his plans and purposes, but this was attended with 
the disadvantage of being blind to the weak points in his 
character. Hence she could approve and admire, but she eould 
see nothing to condemn. In the love that looks up, this con- 
fidence is a virtue, but when it looks down in its guarding 
character it becomes a fault. 

* Everywhere about the place could be found evidence of Bob’s 
peculiar traits of character. On the walls were hung specimens 
of his skill as an artist, but not one of them was complete. One 
would represent a piece of ornamental penmanship. That por- 
tion which represented the beginning of his work gave evidence 
of great care to the minutest details. Then one could trace his 
abating zeal to the abrupt termination. In justice to Bob we 
must say that he never admitted that he had given up whatever 
work he had left in this unfinished state ; it was only postponed 
until some more fitting time. The propitious circumstances 
which he awaited never came about, but still he thought they 
would some time in the future. 

The future ! 

What a vast storehouse of unfinished work, intended improve- 
ments and projected enterprise is made of it. We feel the need 
of accomplishing a certain result, but it involves us in some 
inconvenience, and so we compromise with our conscience by 
whispering, “Not now, but very soon — in the future.” 

In the future is stored away many reforms and good purposes, 
which, alas, so seldom become the present. What a pity that 
evil designs are not disposed of in the same manner ! 



\ 


30 


The Business House that Jack Built, 


Chapter VI. 


bob’ s home . 

I^EEIGHTFUL in every way were Jack’s new 
associations. Mrs. Hanlon gave him 
a warm, motherly welcome, and our 
hero soon found himself completely 
at home. 

‘ ‘ I hope we shall be able to make 
you comfortable here, ’ ’ said the good 
lady. “Bob and I are old-fashioned 
and live here in a plain way, but we 
try to enjoy all the proper blessings 
of life and we make ourselves con- 
tented, thinking how many people there 
are so much worse off than we are. By the 
way, did I' understand your name was — ’’ 
“Jack,” answered our hero, promptly. 

“ Excuse the question, but does your mother address you by 
that name ? ’ ’ 

“ O, yes, ma’am, every one does ; and, if you please, I ’d like 
it if you also would call me Jack.” 

“ Well, is n’t that delightful ! ’’ exclaimed the old lady, glee- 
fully. “Robert, our son, has always been called Bob, and now 
he has a companion who has always been called Jack. How 
much more sociable Bob and Jack seem than Robert and John. 
But dinner is ready now. I do hope that girl has n’t burnt the 
meat.’’ 

In justice to the girl, about whose culinary carefulness Mrs. 
Hanlon was so solicitous, we will state that she had never been 
known to burn the meat, but nevertheless this worthy lady 
seemed to be apprehensive that such a calamity might happen, 
and on every occasion when she had guests these fears were cer- 
tain to be expressed. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


31 

The dinner was a cheerful one. It was the custom of this 
little household to feed both the mind and the body when sit- 
ting at the table. Bob related anecdotes of the day’s business, 
Mrs. Hanlon made quaint comments, and Jack was almost un- 
consciously drawn into the conversation and was soon entertain- 
ing the little group with stories of his home life. Fully forty- 
five minutes were spent at the dinner table, and, although the 
fare was neither sumptuous nor of great variety, Jack felt that 
he had never partaken of a more enjoyable meal. Now the 
whole secret was that it was seasoned with cheerfulness, the 
very best aid to digestion and the cheapest that has ever been 
discovered. Heaven pity the household where breakfast, dinner 
and supper are the three solemn ceremonies of the day, and the 
stowing away of food is accomplished in silence and gloom ! If 
the fiend of dyspepsia goes about searching out his victims, he 
avoids the table where the merry laugh is heard, but hies him 
away to the silent feast, where the tongue and the mouth are 
too much occupied in the serious business of filling the stomach 
to attend to any of the wants of the mind. 

No feast is complete if it does not provide for mental as well 
as physical wants. 

As Jack was not expected to commence work until the next 
morning, he spent the afternoon with his father visiting places of 
interest in the city. The time passed off rapidly, and he hardly 
realized that he was really away from home until his father 
announced that it was time to take the train for home. Then 
Jack experienced a sinking sensation about the heart, a slight 
swelling in his throat and a dimness in his eyes. He did not 
expect to experience these feelings. He had thought that to 
leave home and be thrown upon his own responsibility to work 
out a grand career in a great city was something very desirable, 
and yet here he was trying to choke back his tears. 

His father noticed his emotion, and placing his hand on his 
son’s shoulder observed: “Jack, you are now making your 
beginning in life. Remember the old proverb, ‘ Button your 
jacket wrong at the bottom and it ’s sure to come out wrong at 
the top.’ I have confidence in you. Jack, and so has Mr. Wil- 
liamson. I feel certain that neither of us will be disappointed 
if you try your best always to satisfy the conscience of Jack 


32 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Wharton. Good-bye, my boy, and write to us often.” And Mr. 
Wharton dashed away, pausing after he had turned the corner 
to wipe his eyes. 

Jack turned his steps toward the widow Hanlon’s cottage, 
but he carried a heavy heart. He was not really homesick — his 
mind was not troubled with regrets or misgivings — but now that 
for the first time he was away from home and friends a sense of 
loneliness came over him. He arrived at his new home just as 
Bob returned from the office, and tried very hard 'to conceal the 
feelings that were temporarily eclipsing his bright nature. 

The supper table revived Jack’s spirits wonderfully. Bob 
was a wonderful fellow at gathering interesting incidents out of 
his daily intercourse with the world, and every night came home 
freighted with amusing and entertaining recollections of the 
people he had met and the places he had visited. During the 
supper the conversation happened to turn on the subject of the 
telephone. 

Bob was all animation at once. 

“ I have examined the subject of telephoning to-day,” said 
he, “and, if I am not mistaken, I think I can see a way by 
which the telephone can be greatly improved.” 

Jack looked at his friend in unbounded admiration. A mere 
boy to be able to make an improvement on the telephone ! 

Bob’s mother nodded approvingly, and the young man re- 
sumed : 

‘ ‘ I called at the book store and bought all the books I could 
find on the science of electricity. I have ordered some batteries 
and instruments, and am going to commence my experiments 
right away.” 

“ But, Bob,” said his mother, “ how can you then finish the 
story you are writing? ” 

“ O, I ’ll let that rest for awhile.” 

Another revelation to Jack : Bob was an author. 

“ I did hope,” continued Bob, “ to be able to finish my oil 
painting ’ ’ 

“And do you paint pictures, too ?” exclaimed Jack, his 
eagerness getting the better of his politeness. 

“O, yes,” answered Bob, carelessly, “I’ve got several 
pieces under way, and some day I’ll give them the finishing 


33 


'Ihe Business House that Jack Built. 

touches. By the way, mother, I think I won’t practice any 
more on the piano for awhile. I want to devote all my spare 
time to my experiments.” 

“Very well. Bob,” assented Mrs. Hanlon; “and that re- 
minds me, I was obliged to put your violin, flute and guitar in 
the spare room closet for a short time.” 

“It is immaterial,” said Bob; “I shall have no time for 
practice anyway.” 

“ What a wonderful boy Bob must be,” thought Jack ; “ an 
inventor, an author, a musician and an artist, and yet so young. 
Moreover, how lightly he treats his various accomplishments, as 
if all this combination of talent were a mere nothing.” 

And it was — just a mere nothing. Bob dabbled in every- 
thing, and, as a consequence, he had not risen above mediocrity 
in anything. 

Jack, being accustomed to retiring early, excused himself 
about an hour after supper and was shown to his room. Bob 
announced his intention of reading his works on electricity for 
several hours. 

Jack was usually a sound sleeper, but the day had been so 
full of events that he found it difiicult to compose his mind. 
He at last fell asleeep, but it was to dream of a very curious 
animal which was constantly about him. The strange thing 
about it was that the animal was constantly changing its form. 
Sometimes it walked on two feet, then it went on four feet, then 
it crawled on the ground, and finally took wings and essayed a 
flight into the air. “What can be the name of this strange 
animal ? ” mused Jack. 

‘‘Bob ! ” called a voice from below. It was Mrs. Hanlon 
calling to her son to retire. 



34 


The Business House that Jack Built, 


Chapter VII. 



THE INITIATION. 

HE next morning Jack awoke 
bright and early. He was 
trimful of courage and enthus- 
iasm, and felt that this was the greatest 
day of his life. At times the remembrance 
of those great books would creep into his 
mind, carrying with it a kind of chill, but 
Jack’s organism was such that whenever 
a trouble arose, up jumped the antag- 
onism of his nature and a fight was at once inaugurated. So far 
in his life he carried the championship belt against all his 
troubles. Would he continue to do so ? We shall see. 

Eight o’clock found both boys in the counting-room, ready 
for duty. Bob could do nothing until the arrival of Mr. Noel, 
who alone had the vault combination. They had not long to 
wait, however, for soon Mr. Noel entered the office, and, after 
greeting both pleasantly, unlocked the vault and was soon 
deeply engaged in his books, leaving Jack in the private office 
awaiting Mr. Williamson’s arrival. 

“ Wonder what I shall do first,” thought Jack. ” Cracky ! 
I hope he won’t make me tackle one of those big books the first 
thing. Well, if he does, I ’ll show him I ain’t no chicken. I ’m 
here to stay, you bet,” and Jack looked defiantly up at a portrait 
of Washington, as if he detected a sneering doubt on that 
benevolent countenance. 

” Good morning. Jack,” sang out a cheery voice, and Mr. 
Williamson entered briskly and shook hands with our young 
novice. ‘ ‘ So here you are ; ready and, I have no doubt eager, 
to go to work.” 

“Yes, sir,” answered Jack. “I am entirely ready to com- 
mence what you wish me to do.” 


35 


7 %^ Business House that Jack Built. 

“Very good. Then we won’t keep you idle. Before you 
commence work, however, I wish to talk with you a little. I 
was once a boy about your age. Jack, and started in business 
pretty much as you are starting now. Well, experience 
thumped some pretty valuable lessons into my head, and it may 
save you some trouble if I give you a few words of advice.” 



MR. WILLIAMSON. 


“Yes, sir,” said Jack, very resignedly. He hated advice; 
it savored too strongly of Sunday-school. Not that Jack was a 
wicked boy and hated to hear moral truths ; it was simply that 
he abominated being talked down to. 

“Your duties,” began Mr. Williamson, “will be dull and 
monotonous for some time ; but to learn a business well it is 
necessary to learn all parts of it. You are ambitious, I can see. 
That is very good, providing your ambition is regulated by good 
judgment; providing it doesn’t make you impatient and at 



•Y - * 




V, . / 'V 

'\ '•; 


36 The Business House that Jack Built. 


times despondent. You will be tempted sometimes to neglect 
some little thing. Beware of that, Jack. No truer saying was 
ever uttered than this, ‘ Whatever is worth doing at all is worth 
doing well.’ Form a habit of neglecting trifles and that habit 
will cling to you when you have greater duties to perform. 

‘ ‘ Another danger : You will see those who have been here a 
long time doing things almost intuitively, which, to you, are 
very tedious and laborious. You will try to imitate their expert- 
ness and you will fail. Then you will blame yourself, and 
think you have made a great mistake — you were not cut out 


s': 



SO THIS WAS THE MUCH-DREADED BEGINNING. 


for this business, and all that. Fight against all these tempta- ^ ^ 
tions and feelings. Jack. Believe in yourself; know that you - 
can win ; convince yourself that your duties suit you to a T, and 
that you couldn’t possibly better yourself. But I am not going 3 
to bore you with a sermon. I ’ll set you to work at once. Here 
are a lot of invoices. These are simple ones and you have only '4 
to prove the additions. You can take that small table near Bob . ^ 
Hanlon’s. When you get this done report to me.” . Jj 

Jack took the invoices and went to his table. So this was 
the much-dreaded beginning — a few examples in simple addi- , 3 





The Business House that Jack Built. 


37 


tion ! Bravery, he felt, was entirely unnecessary. A weak 
adversary only provokes contempt, and this was the principal 
ingredient in Jack’s feelings at this time. However, Mr. Wil- 
liamson’s words of advice were fresh in his mind, and he half 
fancied that this was only a test, and not one of the daily duties 
which would devolve upon him. So in a moment he was climb- 
ing up a column of figures. Not such a very easy work, after 
all, when Jack found himself above a hundred and not half way 
up the column. There ! he has slipped and fallen to the bottom 
and must do the whole work over again. Jack was more care- 
ful this time, but when at last he arrived at the head of the 
column he could n’t remember whether the hundreds were two 
or three. Another trial — another slip two-thirds up the column 
— a fresh start, and the head of the column reached for the 
second time ; but, alas, the units column did not tally with the 
footing of the invoice. 

‘ ‘ Now,” thought Jack, ” either this invoice is wrong or I am, 
and I ’ll have to add it again to be certain.” Once more the 
operation was repeated, and when the result was reached, it cor- 
responded neither with the invoice nor the first addition. At 
this discovery Jack began to feel decidedly vexed, but he saw 
that nothing was to be done but to keep on trying. Again was 
that column assailed, and after two slips he had the satisfaction 
of finding that the unit figure of his result and the unit figure of 
the invoice agreed. Jack then happened to glance at the clock. 
Imagine his dismay when he found he had been just one hour 
adding, up one column of figures ! Now, as there were five 
columns in an invoice, it did not require an elaborate calculation 
to show him at the rate he had been going, it would take him 
until one o’clock to prove one invoice. Truly this began to look 
like work, and Jack began to feel a kind of inward misgiving 
that he had perhaps overrated his strength. Ten o’clock found 
Jack with a flushed face, but still with an expression of grim 
determination on it. Eleven o’clock, and Jack was still on his 
first invoice, but his hands trembled and his countenance looked 
troubled. Twelve o’clock, and Jack was sitting at the table, 
his head between his hands, and staring stupidly at the figures. 
Poor little fellow ! the tears that stood in his eyes showed that he 
was almost conquered, and that, too, by a little sum in addition. 


38 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ Hello, Jack,” said Bob Hanlon, as he entered the room. 
“ Had some work to do outside and just got in. What are you 
doing? O, examining invoices, eh. Well, that ’s good to begin 
on. How are you coming on ? 0-ho, I see. Never mind ex- 

plaining ; I see it all. I ’ve been there myself. I^et me see that 
invoice a moment.” And Bob, the aggravating rascal, slid his 
finger up each column, and, presto, in three minutes, or less, the 
result was down and corresponded exactly with the footing of 
the invoice. 

” Well, that’s all O. K.,” remarked Bob, cooly ; ” and now 
let ’s go down to dinner, and this afternoon I ’ll give you a few 
hints and you can tackle it again.” 

Jack went to his dinner with a heavy heart and no appetite. 
His mind would go back to that dreadful addition, and the 
swelling in his throat seemed to protest against the encroach- 
ment of food. But he forced himself to eat for appearance sake 
and gloomy and moody returned to the ofiice with Bob. 

” Now then, Jack,” said Bob, ” I brought you down a little 
before the regular time to-day, because I know just what your 
trouble is and I think I can help you. You are all upset in 
your addition. I knew you would be, and so did Mr. William- 
son. He breaks in all the new clerks in that way. Now, Jack, 
let me see you add that first column of figures, so that I can see 
how you go about it.” 

Jack commenced : “Eight and two are ten, and ten and 
three are thirteen, and thirteen and five are eighteen, and — ” 

“There, that will do,” interrupted Bob. “It’s just as I 
expected. You can ’t read yet ; you can only spell.” 

“ Can’t read ! ” exclaimed Jack, indignantly. 

“ Why no, of course not,” returned Bob, cooly. “ Did n’t 
you just now have to spell out thirteen in this way : Eight and 
two are ten and three are thirteen, when you ought to be able to 
read the figures eight, two, three, as thirteen.” 

“ What ? ” said Jack, “ read a column of figures ! ” 

“Just so. You must add or read by twos, just as you com- 
menced learning to read, by taking words of two letters. Now, 
here is a column of figures which I will group off into twos. 
Now, add each column by just naming the result of one combi- 
nation with that of the next, in this manner : 


39 


The Business House that Jack Built, 

if 

n 

i( 

. t! 

?! 

“ Now, you must know at a glance that three and five read as 
eight, five and six as eleven, etc. Then you have only to name 
the results in this way — eight, nineteen, thirty, forty, fifty-three. 
It may be a little hard at first, but it ’s the only way you can 
acquire the art of rapid addition.” 

” I see the point,” said Jack. ” But there was another thing 
that bothered me to-day : When I get above a hundred I find it 
hard to keep the carrying figures in my mind. How do you 
manage that, Bob ? ” 

” Well, I find it convenient to use the fingers of my left hand 
as counters. When I add up one hundred I put my thumb to 
the tip of my first finger. For two hundred I touch the second 
finger. When I get to the head of the column the finger that 
my thumb rests on gives me the number of hundreds in my 
addition.” 

‘‘But suppose you are interrupted in the middle of your work. 
How do you avoid doing it all over again ? ” 

“ I stop right then, and put down the result in pencil in 
small figures, directly over the figure I have added. For 
example : 

w 2365 

8428 

9562 

8624 

41 

9856 

8562 

9435 

8622 

4845 

9638 

37 




40 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


“Now,” resumed Bob, “I interrupted myself on the third 
column, and the result thus far was forty-one. You see I have 
got that down in two figures, and when I want to finish my work, 
in two minutes, two hours, or two months from the time I 
started, I can commence with the four over the eight, in the third 
column, and add right along.” 

“ Well now, another point : How do you prove the correct- 
ness of your work ? ” 

“ Always by adding from top to bottom ; and, if I wish still 
another proof, by dividing the whole into two parts, adding each 
separately, and then adding the results. So now you have 
what secret there is in rapid addition. Some people never learn 
to add rapidly because they form the habit of repeating the 
whole process that the learner would go through with, just as you 
did a moment ago, when I told you you were onl}" spelling out 
your work. Now, Jack, all you have to do is to practice.” 

“ And you bet I will,” responded Jack, all animation. “ If 
I can’t, at the end of the week, add five times as fast as I do 
now, you can just call me a snipe.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


41 


Chapter VIII. 



A TEST OF CHARACTEK. 

N the afternoon our hero commenced his task with 
renewed courage. At the suggestion of Bob he 
picked out the shortest invoices first, and as he began 
to regain confidence in himself he found his work 
growing easier. Still he realized the fact that he had 
* much to learn in the simple art of addition. He had 

not given much attention to it while in school, perhaps for the 
reason that his teacher had not required it. And right here, by 
the way, let us offer the suggestion that teachers should attach 
more importance to arithmetic in its application to every-day 
life. There is no mathematical work so common in business as 
the addition of numbers. There is nothing in which so many 
mistakes occur. Bookkeepers have been known to work for 
weeks hunting down an error in addition. In fact we believe 
that accountants and clerks will sustain us in the statement that 
nine out of ten mistakes occur in simple addition. 

Jack worked away very industriously, growing stronger with 
every invoice he examined. So far he had found them correct, 
but at last he struck one that seemed to be wrong. This was 
just what he wanted, and his very fingers tingled with excite- 
ment as he rapidly reviewed his work to verify his first addition. 
The second trial told the same story — the invoice was wrong. 
Still Jack was not thoroughly satisfied yet. He felt it would 
humiliate him to report to Mr. Williamson an error that did not 
exist, so he resolved to make ‘ ‘ assurance doubly sure ’ ’ by 
dividing the columns of figures into two parts and adding the 
results of each together. Three times and out. His work was 
correct and the invoice was wrong by one hundred dollars. Off 
rushed Jack for Mr. Williamson’s private office. He found him 
engaged at his desk, but he smiled as he looked up and caught 
sight of Jack’s animated countenance. 

“Well, Jack,’’ he observed, “so you have found an error^ 
have you ? ’ ’ 


42 The Business House that Jack Built. 

“Yes, sir; this invoice is wrong,” answered Jack, very 
decidedly. 

‘ ‘ Quite sure of it, are you ? ’ ’ 

“ Bet my boots — I mean — yes, sir ; I know it ’s wrong.” 

“ That ’s right, Jack, when you know a thing, know it with- 
out any ifs and buts. Now do n’t imagine that I have a want of 
confidence in you, but I have had considerable experience with 
boys in this particular kind of work, and I must do with you just 
as I have with all others — prove your own work. Won’t you 
please step out and ask Bob Hanlon and Tom Staples to step into 
the office.” 

Tom Staples was the bill clerk, whom we will introduce to 
our readers further on. 

Jack did as he was directed, and the young men came at 
once and awaited orders. 

“ Prove this invoice, Bob,” said Mr. Williamson, handing 
the document to him. 

Bob took the paper and running his finger up the columns 
with a few swee’ping motions announced that the addition was 
correct. 

Jack’s heart gave one big thump and became at once a lump 
of lead. It couldn’t be possible that Bob, with his splendid 
abilities and long experience, could make a mistake in addition. 
Besides he had served his apprenticeship in this department, and 
Jack knew what Bob was in addition. He felt terribly shaken 
up and was fast losing his self-confidence which had begun to 
buoy him up so wonderfully. 

Mr. Williamson made no comments, but silently handed the 
invoice to Tom Staples. Tom was evidently not so rapid as 
Bob, for he went to work quite deliberately, adding each column 
twice, first upward and then down. Then he handed the invoice 
back to Mr. Williamson with the brief and laconic announce- 
ment, “ One hundred dollars out.” 

Jack’s heart gave another bound, and the lead evaporated 
into gas. 

Bob reddened and looked confused. Mr. Williamson handed 
him the invoice, remarking, “Try again. Bob,” 

He did so, and not only once but twice, and then rubbing 
the bridge of his nose with his forefinger — a signal of mental 


43 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

disturbance — he gave back the invoice with the remark, “I 
find I was wrong. The addition is wrong by one hundred 
dollars. ’ ’ 

“That will do, boys,” said Mr. Williamson. “Wait a 
moment. Jack, I must assign you some other work.” 

Bob and Tom left the office, and Mr. Williamson, with a 
smile of encouragement, remarked : 

“Jack, I congratulate you. This is a simple citcumstance, 
but it furnishes a key to your character. It shows a disposition 
to be thorough, even in small things. Now, Bob betrayed his 
great weakness. He is as sharp as steel, as quick as a spark, 
and yet these good qualities don’t offset that fatal trait of his 
character which I can best describe as diffusive force. That is, 
he can’t apply his mind on any one thing, but divides it up 
with other schemes which happen to be occupying his attention. 
I have no doubt his mind is now busy with some new hobby, 
and, until the novelty wears off, all that he does in the office 
will be done in a mechanical, spiritless way. But I am not 
going to lecture you. Jack. I merely wished to say that you 
have gone to work in the right way. I have been watching 3^ou 
on the sly. I saw the brave fight you made against those awful 
additions, and I have seen you conquer. You have acquitted 
yourself nobly in this important test, Jack, and I extend to you 
my most heartfelt congratulations.” 

“ But, Mr. Williamson,” said Jack, “ do all the boys have as 
much trouble as I did in starting ? ’ ’ 

“ As a rule, yes. The exercise I have given you is one of 
the tests of character I give all new-comers. I have had boys 
who gave up utterly discouraged in half a day. Of course, they 
hadn’t pluck enough to make business men. I have had others 
who showed that they could n’t be relied upon, by pretending to 
do the work, which I ascertained by giving them wrong invoices 
which they returned as correct. I have had still others who 
showed a disposition to shirk, by asking some of the other boys 
to help them.” 

“ Shucks ! ” observed Jack, disdainfully. “I’d kick myself 
out of creation before I ’d do that.” 

“I believe it, Jack, not literally in the way you have 
expressed it, but I am satisfied you have no disposition to shirk 


44 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


duties, however insignificant they may appear. And now, Jack, 
shall I give you some new work, or will you try the invoices a 
while longer ? ’’ 

“If it’s the same to you,” answered Jack, “I’d rather 
tackle the invoices again. I ’m just beginning to learn how to 
add, and if I can have just a week longer I bet I won’t let a 
column of figures get away with me again like they did this 
forenoon.” 

“You shall have it. Jack — a month if you say so, and prov- 
ing invoices will be your work until further notice.” 






The Business House that Jack Built. 


45 


Chapter IX. 

A GREAT VICTORY. 

T will be remembered that Jack expressed a will- 
ingness to be called a snipe if be failed at the 
end of a week to add with more facility than he 
did on that memorable morning when those 
horrible invoices took away his appetite for 
dinner. We may add here that his supper on 
that day made amends for the lightness of his 
dinner, and, being in the best of spirits, his digestion was not 
impaired by the double allowance of food for which his stomach 
now clamored. 

Jack now had a purpose. He was determined to excel in 
addition, and he knew that the only way to accomplish this was 
to work with all his might and main. He accordingly came to 
an understanding with himself that every morning before break- 
fast he would work ten examples in addition, after supper 
twenty, and drill himself thoroughly in reading combinations of 
figures. He confided his plans to Bob, who warmly seconded 
his proposal, and further suggested that he would assist him by 
placing figures on a blackboard to familiarize him with combina- 
tions, and after that, when Jack got sufficiently advanced, they 
would have adding matches. 

This aroused Jack’s enthusiasm to a high pitch, and he 
insisted on commencing this work at once. Bob had a special 
room which he called his laboratory, but which was in reality 
an old curiosity shop, for it contained almost every kind of 
apparatus from a galvanic battery to a gimlet. They represented 
the wrecks of undeveloped enterprises. A small blackboard was 
attached to one of the walls, and Bob now assumed the role of 
tutor. He had a very willing and earnest pupil, however. 
Requiring Jack to turn his back to the board, he wrote down 
three figures in this manner : 

5 

6 

7 



46 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


He then asked Jack to turn quickly around and read the 
result of the addition. 

Jack had to spell it out at first, and then Bob had him repeat 
the figures of the combination twenty or more times — five, six, 
seven — eighteen ; five, six, seven — eighteen ; five, six, seven — 
eighteen, etc. He then took other combinations in the same 
way, and this work was continued for fully an hour, at the end 
of which time Jack could certainly tell at a glance that five, six, 
seven meant eighteen. 

The exercises Jack assigned himself were faithfully per- 
formed. In fact his zeal ran away with him, and made Bob feel 
before the end of a week that he had set fife to some very com- 
bustible material. At the end of the third night Bob’s zeal as 
a tutor began to wane, and under the plea of pressure of other 
work the blackboard drills were considerably abbreviated. But 
Jack was the same energetic, persevering little fellow, and con- 
tinued deeply in earnest in his well-set purpose. Two weeks 
passed by and then he reminded Bob of the proposed adding 
matches. 

“ Of course, ” he explained, “I do n’t expect to be able to add 
half as fast as you, but I think it will sharpen up my wits to try 
as hard as I can, so what do you say to a match to-night ? ’ ’ 

“I am agreed,” assented Bob, and that very night the 
arithmetical contest commenced. 

The plan agreed upon was for each to take a paper and write 
twenty lines of five figures each, and then exchange papers. 
The one who first reached his result was to cry ” out,” and then 
the other would verify his work. Jack was a little nervous at 
first, because he was expecting every moment to hear the signal 
” out ” come from Bob, but it did not come until Jack had com- 
menced the addition of his fourth column. Then Jack examined 
Bob’s work, finding it correct. On the second trial. Jack had 
reached the fifth column before the words ” out ” saluted him, but 
this time Bob was unfortunate, for on examination his work was 
found to be most certainly wrong. Jack was waking up to busi- 
ness now, and his mind was at its highest tension when the 
third example was attacked. It was a wild and daring thought, 
but what if he should actually beat Bob ! All the powers of his 
mind were focussed upon his work, and at this moment he knew 


The Business House that Jack Built. 47 

nothing else but the work he was engaged on. Bravo ! he has 
reached the fifth column and Bob is still mute. Half way up 
the column and the signal “ out ” has not reached his ear. His 
heart beat a rapid tattoo as the goal of his ambition appeared in 
view. Bob was still silent. And — 

“ Out ! ” shouted Jack, as the result of the last column was 
jotted down, and Bob was ascending the fifth column. But, like 


t 



OUT 


SHOUTED JACK. 



an election, the victory was not certain until the official count had 
been made. The paper was handed over to Bob, who went over 
the additions very carefully, and then announced the signal of 
Jack’s victory — ‘ ‘ Correct ! ” 

“Your hand. Jack,” exclaimed Bob. “ You have beaten me 
fairly, and I congratulate you on the wonderful progress you 
have made in so short a time.” 

Our young hero was too full of emotion to express himself. 
He shook Bob’s hand as if it were an obstinate pump handle, 
and then gave him a vigorous slap on the shoulder as a means of 
affording some relief to his pent-up feelings. He considered 
that one of the foundations of the Business House that Jack 
Built had been successfully laid. 


48 


The Business House that Jack Built-. 


Chapter X. 



ANOTHER WORLD TO CONQUER. 

te^RuT Jack did not rest upon his victory. He had 
accomplished something that two weeks before he 
would have regarded as an impossibility : In a 
fair and square contest he had beaten Bob Hanlon 
in addition. Could he maintain his position ? 
Yes, he could and would. He would keep in con- 
stant practice, and this was something that Bob 
could not do. Jack was beginning to get a clearer 
insight of Bob’s character. He realized that his abilities were 
of a high order, but he lacked application, and this was Jack’s 
strong point. He was a worker, and whatever he undertook he 
looked at it in the light of an encounter ; he must either conquer 
or be conquered. So Jack continued his practice in reading 
numbers. He was no longer afraid of an invoice, and soon 
reached the point when the current business did not furnish 
enough of this kind of work to occupy his time. One day the 
work given him was finished by ten o’clock. He waited for 
some little time in the expectation that Mr. Williamson would 
give him other employment, but no other tasks were assigned 
him. With his active, nervous nature it was not long until he 
began to get tired of this inactivity. The moments dragged 
wearily on and no one seemed to notice him. A half hour 
passed by and Jack began to feel decidedly uncomfortable. At 
the end of another half hour Jack felt that he could endure it 
no longer ; he must have something to do. On the inspiration 
of the moment he went to Mr. Williamson’s office. 

“Well, Jack? ” observed Mr. Williamson, inquiringly. 

“ I have nothing to do, sir,” answered Jack. 

“ Finished those invoices, have you? ” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“And it is not yet eleven o’clock. By the way, how long 
ago was it when a certain boy was all the forenoon proving one 
invoice ? ’ ’ 


49 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“Three weeks,” answered Jack, flushing slightly. 

“Indeed! Then I infer that you have made some improve- 
ment since that time. But why do you come to me for work ? 
Could n’t you find some way to pass off time ? ” 

“ I did n’t try to,” answered Jack. “ I supposed I was here 
to work, and not to kill time.” 

“ Bravo, Jack 1 I wish all the boys had the same conception 
of their duties. But you have outgrown your work, I see, so I 
must provide something else for you. I know something now 
about your arithmetic, but how are you in geography ? Pretty 
well posted ? ” 

This was touching Jack on a sore spot, for he had always 
thoroughly detested geography, and, as a consequence, was not 
a brilliant scholar in that branch of useful education. 

“I’m afraid,” said Jack, “that I’m not much account in 
geography. I never could see any sense in studying it. After 
I had got by heart all the long words and the hard names, and 
recited my lesson, I could n’t for the life of me tell what it was 
all about. After I knew how to bound a state I couldn’t tell 
where the state was nor how I could go to it. ’ ’ 

“ Go on, Jack.” 

“Well, sir, I just hated geography; I couldn’t see what 
sense there was in knowing how many miles long a river was 
that I never expected to see, and I didn’t try tp remember such 
things. At the end of the term I knew just as much geography 
as I did at the beginning.” 

“I can sympathize with you. Jack, for I experienced in my 
younger days the same difiiculties that you have. But a proper 
knowledge of geography is a good thing, notwithstanding the 
fact that it is often, and perhaps generally, injudiciously taught. 
What made me ask you about geography was that I intended to 
start you in the shipping department where this kind of knowl- 
edge is particularly valuable. But probably you would prefer 
some other kind of work.” 

Jack’s belligerent nature was aroused in an instant. Noth- 
ing stirred him up so quick as an obstacle. Tell him a thing 
was easy to do and it took away a portion of his enthusiasm. 
But an obstacle to overcome was something that suggested a 
fight and* the possibility of a victory. His mind was in an 


50 


The Busmess House that Jack Built. 


instant fully made up that the shipping department should be 
the next scene of his triumphs. 

He was not as long in coming to this decision as we are in 
writing it, and, after a brief pause, answered Mr. Williamson’s 
interrogative suggestion : 

“ No, sir ; I want to learn the whole business, and if I don’t 
know enough geography I ’ll try some way to learn. I never 
was afraid of geography, anyhow ; I only hated it. Perhaps 
now that I can use it, it won’t seem .so bad.” 

“Very well, then. Jack, this afternoon I will assign you your 
work in the shipping department.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


51 


Chapter XI. 



STKEL and feint. 

i^N a former chapter we made allusion to Tom 
Staples, the bill clerk. As Tom will figure 
in the events that make up this story, we 
must make our readers acquainted with 
him. We can describe his person by 
stating that he was of medium stature, of 
ruddy complexion, blue eyes and bald-headed. 
A casual acquaintance with him would produce 
the impression that he had a crabbed and morose 
disposition, but this was all on the surface. He 
vras warm-hearted, generous and kind, but he gave evidence of 
these traits of character under a kind of protest. Profes- 
sedly he was a cynic, and he was a disciple of Descartes in 
doubting everything. Not that he mistrusted everything in 
human nature, but he had formed the habit of objecting to 
everything on general principles. If a person would venture 
the assertion that it was a fine day, he would look at the subject 
from some peculiar standpoint and attempt to prove that the day 
v.T;S very unsatisfactory for useful purposes and not at all what 
w^as wanted at that particular time. Tom was very fond of a 
discussion, and he got plenty of it on account of his facility in 
taking exceptions to every statement made, reasonable or unreas- 
onable. Yet, notwithstanding he was regarded as a social 
crank, he was a general favorite, for every day afforded evidence 
that he had a warm heart which was keenly susceptible to kind 
influences. For instance, he would learn that some poor widow 
was in distressful circumstances. He would make careful in- 
quiries to elicit all the particulars, and then, shaking his head, 
observe with a cynical smile : “ Too thin, too thin ; these appear- 
ances of extreme poverty are all put on, you can depend upon it. 
But even if she were as poor and needy as it is claimed she is, it 
is no doubt all her own fault. Poor management, shiftlessness. 


52 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


extravagance, indolence or some such causes always prove the 
forerunners of such conditions. A good lesson for her, and I 
hope it will be severe enough to make her remember it. ’ ’ 

Then Tom would put on his hat, and asking the boys to just 
say that he had stepped over to the postoflSce, if any one 
inquired, he would proceed straight to the abode of the poor 
widow. When there he would invent some business which 
necessitated his errand. If he could think of nothing better, he 
would personate a book agent and try to sell her a twelve- dollar 
copy of Dante’s Inferno. By such means he would contrive to 
get a pretty correct knowledge of the widow’s circumstances, 
and before night, perhaps, a load of coal would be delivered at the 
widow’s door, sent there by “ a friend.” Then a wagon load of 
groceries would be delivered, and an accompanying note would 
inform the widow that a certain person, who, for obvious reasons, 
must remain unknown, had wronged her late husband, and he 
took this means of making restitution. 

It was reported, and currently believed, that Tom copied a lot 
of old sermons in a scrawly hand, disfiguring the manuscript 
with erasures and blots, for the sole purpose of affording a lady 
who was too proud to accept charity and not strong enough to 
do hard work the chance to earn an easy living by copying. 
Perhaps this little incident would never have been discovered if 
several letters had not dropped out of his pocket one day, 
addressed to the ” Rev. Jeremiah Stebbins,” and which had evi- 
dently been delivered to and opened by him. One of the office 
boys attempted to make a joke of the matter one day by addres- 
sing Tom as the Reverend Mr. Staples, but he dodged the ink- 
stand that was thrown at his head, and accepted the hint that he 
was venturing on dangerous ground. 

The reader has by this time formed the opinion that Tom 
was a “character,” but we will let the developments of this 
story afford a further insight into his peculiarities, and introduce 
his office companion, Ned Holman. 

Ned occupied a desk immediately opposite Tom Staples, and 
he was Tom’s opposite in every way. He was a little above the 
medium stature, and was of a quick, nervous temperament. 
His life knew no levels. He was either up in the clouds or 
down in the valley. In the forenoon he would be full of life and 


53 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

enthusiasm, and in the afternoon utterly despondent and 
wretched. He could be puffed up with a breath ; he could be 
knocked down with a straw. He was a creature of moods, with 
a mind susceptible to good or bad influences and with a nature 
keenly sensitive to praise or blame. Ned was honest to the core 
and a faithful worker, but he never could be more than an instru- 
ment of a stronger will. If he attempted to carry out any enter- 
prise himself, he would kill it either by forcing it beyond its 
capacities when he was in a sunny mood or letting it drop and 
starve out when he was under a shadow. He was a great pro- 
jector of important enterprises, a social reformer, a strong cham- 
pion^of the oppressed, but his plans all evaporated into the air 
with about the same effect as you have observed the gas escap- 
ing from a soda fountain - — all fiz and foam. Tom and Ned were 
the best and stanchest of friends, but they had their periodical 
quarrels. Being so radically different in their natures this was 
unavoidable. 

To afford the reader some idea of the character of these quar 
rels we will give one sample, which may be taken as a standard 
of comparison for all the others, which occurred about as often 
as any important subject was brought up. 

“ Tom,” observed Ned, one morning, “ what a pity it is that 
every man cannot pursue the business he likes best.” 

“Well, suppose every man could, what then?” 

“ Why, just this,” responded Tom : “ Eveiydhing would be 

so much better then, because the work would have life and 
enthusiasm thrown into it. If a man loves his business he will 
bring out all there is in it. He will give it more attention and 
closer care than if he simply followed it as a means of making 
money.” 

“I don’t agree with you, there,” said Tom, shaking his 
head. ” I think if a man follows his business for the sole pur- 
pose of making money, it doesn’t make a whit of difference 
whether he has any love for it or not. He loves the money he 
expects to make out of it, and that furnishes all the enthusiasm 
necessar3^” 

“ That is a cold-blooded view to take of it, Tom Staples, and 
I *m surprised to hear you give utterance to such opinions. I 
tell you a man must have a pride in his business separate and 


- ' -'Vi' 

54 The Budjiess House that Jack Built. 



55 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

apart from the money he expects to get out of it. The love of 
gain is well enough as far as it goes, but it isn’t the best of 
motives for building up a successful business.” 

‘‘It is the strongest motive in the world,” urged Tom. 
‘‘You might as well say that a man can raise his family better 
by the love he has for them than by going out into the world 
and earning money to feed and clothe thenr.” 

‘‘ Stuff and nonsense ! The very affection that a man has for 
his family sends him out into the world full of vim and enthusi- 
asm to earn the means for their support. I tell you a business 
enterprise, like everything else, has to be nourished and cared 
for like a new-born babe. Do you mean to say that an infant 
gets better treatment from the hands of a hired nurse, who cares 
for nothing but her weekly wages, than from the mother who 
loves it and has no thought but to see it live, grow and get 
strong? ” 

“ Yes ; when the mother loves the infant so much that she 
kills it with kindness.” 

‘‘But that isn’t the rule; it’s only the exception. And, 
Staples, if you were not so obstinate and pig-headed you 
wouldn’t advance such outrageous sentiments.” 

‘‘ I ’d rather be pig-headed than crazy-headed,” retorted Tom. 

This was touching Ned on a tender spot. His face turned as 
red as temperate faces usually get and his frame quivered with 
nervous excitement. 

“I’d rather be the craziest lunatic in Bedlam,” he hotlj^ 
rejoined, ” than to be a man with a heart so cold that it freezes 
the very blood that courses through it. You may be a very effi- 
cient man, and your love for your salary may carry you to the 
head of this establishment, but I doubt it very much ! ” 

“Humph!” grunted Tom, which was as exasperating a 
rejoinder as could be made. 

This closed the discussion, and the disputants were quiet for 
the rest of the day. Tom w^ent cooly about his work, while 
Ned, flushed and excited, dashed into his duties with a terrible 
vehemence and accomplished three days’ work in one. 

Mr. Williamson knew that Tom and Ned had these periodi- 
cal quarrels but he never tried to prevent these little ebulli- 
tions. In fact, he was heard to remark one day that if he 


56 The Busifiess House that Jack Built. 

was particularly anxious to have three days’ shipping done in 
one he should think he had gained a great point if he could 
get up a quarrel between Tom Staples and Ned Holman. But 
the next morning after one of these scenes the skies would 
be clear again, the late adversaries would accost each other 
pleasantly, and the conversation would for a time run on general 
matters. Then Nedc would observe : 

“ Tom, my boy, I ’ve been thinking about that little matter 
we were talking over yesterday, and I must confess the views 
you took have appeared to me in a more forcible light.” 

“Then you’re wrong, old chap,” returned Tom, “for after 
I turned the matter over in my mind I found that my position 
was wholly untenable.” 

“Nevertheless, Tom, I must claim that therd was a good 
deal of force in the views you advanced.” 

“ Yes, but your logic was the soundest, all the same.” 

“I’m not so sure of that, but — have a cigar, Tom ? ” 

“Thank you, Ned, I was about to offer you one of a new 
brand I ’ve been getting lately. Try one, anyway.” 

They exchanged cigars, and each discovered some very rich 
and peculiar flavor that made that brand very desirable. The 
cigars were identically the same, however, and were purchased 
that morning out of the very same box. 

But we have said enough to introduce Jack’s future com- 
panions, and must now give some attention to our little hero, 
showing in the next chapter his astounding project for making 
himself familiar with that detested study, geography. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


57 


Chapter XII. 

PRACTICAI. GEOGRAPHY. 

e weak point in Jack’s education, as he 
himself admitted, was geography. It 
was a dry study to him, and he took it 
as he would a bitter dose of medicine. 
He was told that he needed it, and he 
was obliged to take it as it was given 
to him, but without any appetite for it. 
That which is taken as medicine can- 
not be as nourishing as that which is 
taken as food, welcomed by a hearty appetite. Hence it was 
impossible, in the natural order of things, for Jack to make 
very satisfactory progress in a study he so thoroughly detested. 
But now geography took the form of a great stumbling-block. 
It stood in his way in the career he had marked out for himself 
and he must now conquer it or be conquered. As the situation 
began to assume the form of a fight it became more interesting, 
and he at once resolved himself into a committee on ways and 
means with full power to act 

At the supper table that night the subject was brought up 
for discussion. Bob was usually fertile in expedients, but in 
this direction he had made no novel discoveries which would be 
likely to help Jack out of his difficulties. 

“I never had any trouble with geography,” observed Bob, 
” because it ’s very easy for me to commit facts to memory, and 
that’s about all there is of it.” 

” I know it,” answered Jack, ” and that ’s what makes it so 
bothersome. If there was something to do, like ciphering out 
how many barrels a cistern would hold, or figuring the interest 
on a note, there would be something to work for — but shucks ! 
when I just had to remember that some plaguey river had a 
mouth ever so many miles wide, and the women of Africa wore 



58 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


rings in their noses, I couldn’t see any good in it. Perhaps I 
might have cared if I had to swim across the river, but, as it 
was, what I learned one day I forgot the next. ’ ’ 

“ But, Jack, you are quite proficient in some branches that 
you had to learn just as you would geography.” 

“ What, for instance ? ” 

“ Well, chemistry ; you are better educated in that branch 
than I am.” 

‘‘I don’t hardly think that. But suppose I am, I didn’t 
learn w’hat I know of chemistry by remembering what the books 
said, and learning by heart all those hard names.” 

” How on earth did you learn it then ? ” 

“Why, I went to work and made everything myself. Pa 
has got a laboratory and he let me make all sorts of compounds 
and mixtures, just so I didn’t make any explosives, or go to 
experimenting with dogs or cats.” 

“And so you went to work and made everything you n%re 
studying about ? ’ ’ 

“ Whenever I could, and I ’ll tell you it ’s just jolly to learn 
things that way. If the books tell you a certain thing is so, per- 
haps it is all right for you to believe it, but when you make a 
thing yourself you know all about it and you do n’t have to take 
anybody’s word for it.” 

“ A good way to learn, of course, but I don’t know how you 
can apply this plan to the study of geography, for you can’t go 
to work and make the world.” 

Jack sighed. This conclusion seemed inevitable. There 
was nothing for it but to plod ahead in the old way, the “ shut- 
your-eyes-and-open-your-moulh ” plan, as Jack termed it. 

“By the way, Jack,” observed Mrs. Hanlon, “ I saw some- 
thing to-day that I think would interest you very much. It is 
called a mechanical wonder, and it was a wonder, sure enough. 
It represents a regular village, with houses, church, mill, river, 
stores, streets and everything full of life and activity. Ladies 
were rocking themselves in their chairs in the houses, laborers 
W'ere working in the yards, the mill was running and the miller 
carrying his grain, birds singing in their cages, the church bell 
ringing, and all this consisting only of little mechanical figures 
fitted together by ingeniou*^ machinery and run by weight. It 


59 


- The Business House that Jack Built. 

was an interesting and pleasing study. I should like very much 
to have you boys go and see it.” 

“Cracky ! ” exclaimed Jack, “ let ’s go and see it to-night, 
Bob.” 

“ We will,” assented Bob, and rising from the table the boys 
put on their caps and started out in quest of this wonderful 
mechanical novelty. 

They found it, and it was even more than Bob’s mother had 
represented it to be. Jack was highly interested, and declared 
that he could look at it for a week without tiring of it. On their 
return home they sat for half an hour talking it over. 

The man who got that up must have had a good mechani- 
cal head,” said Jack. “ Then he must have known a good deal 
about his subject before he undertook his task. For instance, 
that little mill. It was just perfection. All the machinery just 
as you would find it in a big mill.” 

“And do you suppose,” asked Bob, “that the man who 
made this miniature mill could make a large one ? ” 

“ Why of course he could. The big one is only the small 
one on a large scale ! ’ ’ 

He had hardly given utterance to this statement, when Mrs. 
Hanlon was almost frightened out of her senses by Jack sud- 
denly bounding out of his chair and turning a series of hand- 
springs across the room. 

Bob looked on in silent astonishment. He had not yet 
become familiar with Jack’s effervescent nature and the sudden 
surprises he was apt to give his associates. 

“ Whoop ! ” .shouted Jack, as his head regained its normal 
position. “ I ’ve got it ! I ’ve got it ! ” 

“ For mercy’s sake, Jack ! ” exclaimed Mrs. Hanlon, “ do tell 
us what. The colic ? ” 

“ O, no,” answered Jack, looking a little sheepish as he sud- 
denly remembered that he was not at home ; “I’ve got — an 
idea, you know.” 

“O, is that all?” said Mrs. Hanlon, much relieved. “It 
must have been a very striking one.” 

“ It was ; it .struck m" .‘••o hard that it quite upset me.” 

“ Yes, we noticed it did.” observed Bob, quietly. “ But let 
us have the idea, and s c liov; it afffcts rs ’’ 


■6o The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ Well, you remember when we were talking over the trouble 
I had in learning geography you said I couldn’t go to work and 
make the world.” 

“Yes.” 



” Well, that ’s where you ’re oif the handle, for I can ! ” 

“ What ! make the world ? ” 

“Just so ; just as the man who made that mechanical wonder 
got up the village. Now I ’ll tell you what I intend to do : I’m 
going to make a great big globe, four or five feet through, and 
then I ’ll map out the whole world on it.” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 6i 

“A capital idea ! You will get a correct idea of the location 
of the countries and places, and you will get a good understand- 
ing of their relative sizes, but how will you remember the facts 
connected with each country ? ’ ’ 

“Easy enough. Suppose I want to remember that some 
particular state is good for raising wheat, I can fasten a kernel 
of wheat on it. If I want to show that grizzly bears are in the 
Rocky mountains, I can whittle out a wooden one and put him 
there. But these little points I can arrange easily enough. What 
I want to do first is to make my globe.” 

^ “You can count on my help. Jack,” said Bob, who at once 
became infected with Jack’s zeal, “and we’ll clear out the 
laboratory and commence operations at once.” 



62 


The Business House that Jack B uilt. 


Chapter XIII. 

AN KXPI.OSIVE DISCUSSION. 

IE laboratory was put in readiness that 
very night and the plans for making 
Jack’s world fully perfected. Both 
Bob and Jack were handy with tools, 
and found no insurmountable difficul- 
ties in carrying out their design. The 
next day they would get their materi- 
als' together, and the next night get 
their work under headway. 

Jack was in good spirits, for, now 
that he had a purpose, he felt that he 
could work with zeal and enthusiasm, 
and what was before a dull and dry 
study was now galvanized into life. 
The boys retired from their work at 
about ten o’clock, and Jack was soon in “ sweet oblivion.** The 
next morning he was given desk room in the shipping office, and 
received a very cordial reception from Tom Staples and Ned 
Holman. He was unfortunate enough, however, to be the in- 
nocent occasion of stirring up one of the periodical disputes, 
which, as we have before informed the reader, Tom and Ned 
engaged in. It came about in this way. Ned observed to Jack : 
“ I suppose, now, you have some preference as to the particular 
part of this business you would like to follow if you were called 
upon to make a selection.” 

“ No, I can’t say that I have,” answered Jack. ” You see I 
don’t know much about the business yet, and I couldn’t tell 
what I would like best until I tried my hand at all the duties.” 

“Just so. Jack,” assented Ned, ‘‘and let me say right here, 
that in order to make yourself familiar with any business, in 
order to achieve eminence in it, you must understand thoroughly 
the workings of every department, from the lowest to the 
highest.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


63 


“ Not necessarily,” growled Tom Staples. 

Ned accepted this as a challenge, and was in arms in a 
moment. Turning to Tom, he raised his voice slightly and 
asked : “What do you mean, Tom, by ‘not necessarily ’ ? Do 
you mean to infer that a man need not understand the details of 
his business to enable him to run it successfully ? ’ ’ 

‘‘I mean,” answered Tom, “that the head of a large busi- 
ness house must of necessity employ men whom he can trust to 
carry out the details of his business. It is impossible for him to 
examine into every transaction — he has to trust others to do it.” 

‘ ‘ Quite true ; but how is a man to know when his work is 
done'right when he knows nothing about it himself? ” 

‘ ‘ How do you know that your tailor is going to make your 
clothes properly? You don’t know how to make a suit of 
clothes, but you manage to get clothes that fit you all the same. 
You can get a well-fitting suit without becoming a tailor.” 

“ Yes, but I ’d know better what kind of a suit I was getting 
if I were able to make it myself. I tell you, a machinist, to 
understand a machine, must understand the working of every 
part, and a business man, to know how his business is run, should 
understand every detail of the work.” 

“You call this a successful business house, don’t, you?” 
argued Tom. 

‘ ‘ Of course I do. What of that ? ’ ’ 

“ Why, just tell me how much Mr. Williamson pretends to 
know about bookkeeping.” 

‘ ‘ I will admit that he confesses that he knows nothing about 
books, but he says, too, that that is his weak point. He is well 
posted on everything else.” 

‘ ‘ Yes ; but what good would his extensive knowledge be if 
every man did his duty as Mr. Noel, the bookkeeper, does his ? ” 

“But Mr. Noel is an exception. Where you find one man as 
good, faithful and honest as he is you will find ten who would 
take advantage of such unlimited trust.” 

“ Pshaw ! You’re croaking now. Human nature isn’t so 
bad as all that. Why the very corner-stone of business is confi- 
dence. Where would the whole system of business be to-day if 
it were not for this very confidence that one man reposes in 
another ? ’ ’ 


64 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


“Very good sentiments, indeed; but something I did’nt 
expect to hear from such a professional cynic as Tom Staples.” 

“ Humph ! ” grunted Tom, which interjection was always 
the signal of the approaching crisis. 

Ned colored to the roots of his hair, and sounded out his 
defiance : “Yes, you may grunt, and your grunt contains just as 
much argument as anything else you have said ; but I tell you 
now that you know yourself that a man to be the successful 
head of a business should know every detail of that business ! ’ ’ 

And with this parting shot, Ned, flushed and nervous, rushed 
into his work, making his pen fly over his pages as he dashed off 
sheet after sheet of his correspondence. 

The imperturbable Tom, however, went on with his work 
cooly and methodically, pa3dng no more attention to Ned during 
the remainder of the day than if he were a piece of office furni- 
ture. Jack felt decidedly uncomfortable, for he could not help 
regarding himself as a bone of contention. But he was treated 
very kindly by both Tom and Ned, and the day passed off with- 
out any further incident of note. 

At the supper table the events of the day were, as usual, 
brought up under discussion. Bob laughed when Jack related 
his expedience with Tom Staples and Ned Holman, and com- 
forted him with the observation: “You will soon become 
familiar with these little intellectual sparring exhibitions. Tom 
and Ned are the best fellows in the world, but they could n’t live 
happily together if they did n’t have these little disputes about 
so often. Now, mark my words — they are both vinegar to-day, 
but to-morrow they will be all honey.” 

‘ ‘ But why do they get into these disputes when they know 
that they end in quarrels ? ” inquired Jack. 

“ O, the luxury of a reconciliation offsets all the unpleasant- 
ness of their quarrel. That ’s the only theory I have to advance. 
But I move we adjourn to the laboratory and commence the crea- 
tion of Jack’s world.” 


'Hie Business House that Jack Built, 


65 


Chapter XIV. 

CREATING A WORI.D. 

ACK was one of the class of individuals 
who cannot work without a purpose. 
He loved to work providing he had 
something to work for. He was full 
of enthusiasm when he was working 
for a certain object, but he needed to 
be stimulated with a purpose to bring 
out the full force of his character. 
In the study of geography while at 
school, it was to him a task without 
an object. If he had been told that 
he was to be sent to some town in 
the wild regions of Africa on condi- 
tion that he would fully learn the 
route before starting, that route would have been learned if 
within the range of human possibility. Jack was not always 
very particular what the object was, but he wanted something 
to win. 

A little incident which took place when he was several years 
younger will serve to illustrate this particular trait of Jack’s 
character. The teacher of his Sunday school class one time 
offered a prize to the one who would bring the greatest number 
of new members. Now Jack was not noted for early piety. On 
the contrary, he was the subject of many stern reproofs for con- 
duct which would be considered unseemly in a model Sunday 
school scholar. If a bent pin or shoemaker’s wax was discovered 
on the seats, Jack was the party suspected of having conceived 
those designs. It must be admitted, then, that Jack was not a 
shining light in his Sunday school class, but for all that, when 
it came to a contest of any kind, he was sure to be on hand, for 
he now had a purpose. But to return to the matter of the prize. 



66 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Jack made up his mind that he would win, but he had some 
strong competition, and it was pretty soon quite evident that he 
was not going to have a “walk over.” Jack firvt tested his 
powers of persuasion. He could not “talk religion,” for he 
was not fully enough posted, but he could frequently win over 
some new member by describing, for instance, the gay time he 
had when with an insect powder gun he aroused Deacon Jones 
from his regular Sunday nap and gave him such a sneezing spell 
that it shook out all his false teeth. When Jack’s persuasive 
powers failed, he resorted to bribery, and obtained many a 
scholar’s attendance at the expense of a fish hook and line, or 
the re-covering of an old .ball, at which Jack was an expert. But 
the Sunday on which the prize was to be awarded. Jack learned 
that the contest was likely to be a tie, and unless he could 
secure one or more new members the full honors would not be 
his. His principal opponent had been sick during the week and 
could not be at Sunday school, so Jack had only one more to 
secure to make his victory certain. He had about exhausted 
his list of acquaintances and felt that his case was getting des- 
perate. But straying aimlessly around in the vague hope of 
meeting some acquaintance who could be persuaded or pur- 
chased, he encountered a young comrade who was sadly in need 
of the ministrations of the Sunday school, for he had his rod 
across his shoulder and had started out to go fishing. Here was 
an opportunity, and Jack improved it. He tried to make the 
young reprobate feel that he was engaged in a very wicked busi- 
ness, but the young sinner responded with mock gravity that he 
was only intending to punish the fish for being in swimming on 
Sunday. Finding pious exhortations had no effect. Jack tried to 
make a bargain ; but in this line he was equally unsuccessful. 
The young scamp had made up his mind that he was going fish- 
ing and would accept of no substitute. While Jack was plead- 
ing, exhorting and arguing, they wandered along until they- 
were out of sight of the houses and near the fishing place. It 
was getting near the time for Jack to be at Sunday school and 
every moment was now precious. As a sense of defeat began 
to steal over him, he began to feel desperate. He must have 
one more member to report, a«id this was his only chance. Des- 
perate cases require desperate remedies. In a moment his reso- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


67 


lution was made. It was a good cause, and he had been told 
that a good cause was worth fighting for. Here was an oppor- 
tunity to test it. 

“ Hank,” said Jack, ” I ’ve coaxed, I ’ve reasoned with you 
and I ’ve tried to hire you. Now I ’ll tell you just what it is : 
If you don’t go with me to Sunday school I’m blamed if I 
don’t thrash you out of your boots ! ” 

‘‘Like to see you do it!” retorted Hank, contemptuously. 
” Come on and try it now, do 1 ” And as he spoke he threw 



NOW, WILL YOU GO WITH ME TO SUNDAY SCHOOL? ” 


down his rod and took a belligerent attitude. 

• Jack needed no second bidding, but went at him with a will. 
His adversary was larger than he was, but Jack was nimble and 
active, and soon had Hank’s head ‘‘in chancery,” and was 
administering hot punches with a very staggering effect. His 
adversary made a gallant resistance, but when Jack had him flat 
on his back and was preparing to increase the severity of his 
punishment, he felt that it was time to quit, and shouted, 
‘‘ Enough 1 ” 


68 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ Will you go to Sunday school with me to-day ? ” inquired 
Jack. 

Hank was silent. 

“ Will you ?” persisted Jack, raising his fist as if to resume 
hostilities. 

“ Y-e-e-e-s.” 

“ Honest injun ? ” 

“ Honest injun.” 

“All right, then. Now get up and wash yourself and come 
along, for we ain’t got no time to lose.” 

Hank meekly did as he was bid, and accompanied Jack, sul- 
lenly, to the Sunday school. At the door, however. Jack paused 
to give him this admonition : 

“ Now, see here. Hank. You ’ve joined the Sunday school 
of your own free will, but let me catch you strayin’ from the 
fold, and I’ll give you such a tannin’ that you won’t know 
yourself from a last year’s coon-skin ! ” 

We do not know how faithful the young convert proved, out 
Jack got his chromo and was happy. 

Jack’s world was now his purpose. If he could construct 
that and carry out his plans, his principal difficulty would be 
mastered. He could readily understand anything he could 
make, and he felt that this was the only method by which he 
would ever be able to master the facts of geography. 

“What do you propose to make your world out of?” 
inquired Bob. 

“ That ’s just what I can ’t tell,” answered Jack. “I want 
it so that I can handle it easily, and yet I want it as large as it 
can be made, without its taking up too much room.” 

‘ ‘ How would wood answer ? ’ ’ 

“ That would be too heavy, I ’m afraid.” 

“ You might make it of plaster of Paris, by taking a small ball 
and building it up by coats, just as you would a big snow ball ; 
but that plan has its disadvantages. How large do you want 
your globe ? ’ ’ 

“ At least four feet in diameter.” 

“That will make a circumference of over twelve feet. By 
the way, you want to figure the size of it so that you can have 
a scale with a convenient number of miles to the inch.” 


I 


The Business House that Jack Built. 69 

“ Well, that’s easily done, if I can contrive to build it up by 
degrees. If it was only a ball now — ” 

“ But it is only a ball on a large scale.” 

” That ’s so, so why can ’t we make it out of something light 
and then cover it? For instance, let ’s take a quantity of cotton, 
get it as near the size we want and then wind it with twine until 
we get it in just the shape we need.” 

‘ ‘ A capital idea, and I think it will work ; so to-morrow 
we ’ll lay in a supply of cotton and twine, and in less than a 
week we will have the world spinning.” 



70 


The Business House Chat JuCn^ Jjuul. 


Chapter XV. 

PRACTICAI. WRITING. 



HEN Jack returned to the office next 
morning he found the social atmos- 
phere entirely changed. 

Tom and Ned were smoking and 
chatting very pleasantly and evi- 
dently on the best of terms. Each 
greeted Jack in a very cordial 
manner when he came in and seemed to be eager to atone for the 
apparent neglect of the previous day^ 

“Jack,” observed Ned, “I made some remarks yesterday 
which I find on reflection I must qualify somewhat. I stated in 
terms somewhat too positive that a man should know every 
detail of his business in order to make a perfect success of it, 
but, as Tom very properly remarked, this would imply that no 
man should have confidence in another, which is rather too 


sweeping — rather too sweeping.” 

“ I am not so certain about that,” said Tom. “On careful 
consideration I am satisfied that you were not wide of the mark, 
Ned, for it is very certain that if a man happens by some chance 
to have men associated with him unworthy of trust, he is liable 
to be deceived a long time before he discovers their character, 
unless he is thoroughly familiar with their duties.” 

“ There’s a great deal in that, of course, but nevertheless, 
Tom, you were quite right when you observed that mutual con- 
fidence was the corner-stone of business.” 

“True, but mutual confidence needn’t necessarily mean 
mutual ignorance.” 

In this manner the two worthies settled their differences. 
After taking extreme views on the subject under discussion, 
they would find a middle ground on which they could both stand 
without any sacrifice of principle. The result was that neither 
ever acknowledged a defeat or claimed a victory. 


71 


The Business House that Jack Binlt. 

Jack was assigned to his work, which consisted of the copy- 
ing of several lengthy invoices. He considered himself a good 
penman while at school, but now found that he labored under a 
peculiar disadvantage. When he wrote rapidly he could not 
write well, and when he took pains to write well it seemed to 
take an interminable time to get from the top of the page to the 
bottom. He happened to glance at Tom Staples, and was 
struck with the easy, regular motion of his hand as it glided 
over the paper. He seemed to make no effort whatever. He 
never seemed to be writing rapidly, but if one noticed how soon 
he completed a page it was quite evident that he was a rapid 
writer. Jack could n’t understand it. His fingers seemed to 
move more rapidly than Tom’s, but he was conscious that Tom 
w^as writing two or three words to his one. A few minutes’ 
observation convinced him that there was some secret he must 
understand, so when Tom got to the end of some particular 
work Jack made bold to accost him. 

“Ahem ! Mr. Staples.’’ 

“ Meaning me, I suppose,” responded Tom. “ Better call 
me Tom, though, as the rest of the boys do. It might make me 
proud, you know, to be called mister, not being used to it. But 
go on, my boy. You wanted to ask some question.” 

“ Yes, sir,” answered Jack. “ I wanted to ask you how on 
earth you manage to write so smoothly. I ’ve been watching 
you for the last five minutes, and I declare it seemed to me as if 
your fingers went by clock work. Now, part of the time I ’m 
writing fast and again slow. One part of my sheet is tolerably 
good, another part tolerably poor, and the last part of it is 
awfully poor. ’ ’ 

Tom laughed good humoredly, and replied : “I suspect. Jack, 
that like many others, you do n’t know how to write yet.” 

Jack at first felt a little indignant, but he remembered that 
Bob Hanlon had made a remark of similar tenor about his addi- 
tion, and, what was worse, proved it. So he merely ventured 
the remark : “I suppose you mean I don’t know how to write 
well.” 

“ No,” returned Tom, “ I meant exactly what I said. You 
don’t know how to write. Now let me see you write a few 
lines — or, rather, attempt it.” 


72 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Jack sat down to the desk and put forth his best efforts. He 
wrote one line and then with a smile of triumph handed it to 
Tom. But that worthy only smiled, as he noticed the system- 
atic, prim characters, and shook his head. 

“It’s just as I said. Jack. This is not writing. This is a 
line composed of word pictures. You have been drawing, not 
writing. I observed you while you were doing it. You held 



your pen tightly in your fingers, as if you were afraid it would 
jump away from you, and then you proceeded to draw the words. 
You did it with your fingers, too. I should think they would be 
numb with fatigue.” 

“They are tired,” admitted Jack, “ but if my writing is only 
drawing, what you call writing ? ” 

“ I call writing making characters with the movement of the 
hand and wrist, using the fingers, not as the propelling power, 
but as a guide to the pen. Now observe me : ‘ I take my pen 

in hand,’ as correspondents say, and I make my hand and the 
muscles of the forearm do the work. My fingers, you see, don’t 
have much to do. In fact, if I had no fingers at all, I could 
have my penholder fastened to my hand and .still do good writ- 
ing.” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


“ But does it make no difference how you hold your pen ? ” 

“ Not nearly so much as some writing teachers claim. 
There’s Ned, now ; he holds his pen between his first and middle 
fingers, but you see he writes easily and well. Our teachers are 
very much to blame in permitting, and actually teaching, children 
to make drawings of words instead of teaching them to write 
them. Of course, considered as a work of art, a page of drawn 
characters looks very nice, but such work won’t stand the test 
of business requirements.” 

But how shall I go to work to learn the right way to handle 
the pen ? ’ ’ 

“You must practice. Take one sentence and write it slowly 
at first, using your hand and muscles of your forearm. Write 
as uniformly as you can, and do n’t make one letter or word 
faster than you do another. After you succeed in getting the 
right form of the letters you can then increase your speed. But 
make the muscles of the forearm do the work. They can stand 
it better than your fingers can. Now, I ’ve given you your first 
writing lesson. Put it in practice and it will be all that you 
need.” 

“Thank you, Tom, and I ’ll commence right away. No 
more finger drawing for me. ’ ’ 

When dinner time came. Jack stepped into Bob’s room, and 
while the latter was putting his work away. Jack related his- 
experience of the forenoon. 

Bob was about to make some observation, when he suddenly 
colored deeply, became at once strangely agitated, and tipped 
over his ink bottle. Taking his handkerchief from his pocket 
with one hand, and a blotting pad from the desk with the other, 
he rubbed his face with the blotting pad and soaked up the ink 
with his handkerchief. Then, suddenly recollecting himself, he 
wiped his face with his ink-saturated handkerchief, and put the 
blotting pad in his pocket. Jack was amazed at these antics, 
but noticing that Bob looked towards the door, and hearing some 
one enter, he turned and saw — but this deserves another chap- 
ter. 



«?■ . 
i o i 




f 


! P 

O i 



74 


The BusitieiiS House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XVI. 



A NEW problem. 

ACK was still unable to find the cause of 
Bob’s embarrassment, for the only one 
who entered the room was a young girl 
apparently about twelve years of age. 
She came in hurriedly, and was evidently 
agitated about something, for her face had 
a childish trouble expressed on it, and as 
she opened the door she exclaimed, “ O, 
Bob ! ” — and then stopped short in a 
little confusion, as she discovered Jack’s presence. Bob started 
to his feet hastily, kicking over his chair, and, his nervousness 
still increasing, accosted the young lady : “ Ah, good evening. 
Miss Elsie — or, rather, good morning, I should say. Permit me 
to introduce my friend, Mr. Elsie Jackson — I should say Miss 
Jack Williamson — O, pardon me — of course I don’t mean 
that, but — Miss Wharton, Mr. Jack Williamson — ” But Elsie 
Williamson, for that was her name, who had been trying to stifle 
her inclination to laugh, when she first entered the room and 
noticed Bob’s queer appearance, could contain herself no longer 
and burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Jack looked in 
amazement first at Elsie and then at Bob, and then succumbed 
to the infection of Elsie’s merry laugh. Bob did his best, poor 
fellow, to join in the laugh, but as it was against himself it was 
but a sorry success. 

“ Do excuse me, Bob,” said Elsie, as soon as she could regain 
her breath, “I didn’t mean to be rude, but oh, dear, you did 
look so funny with your face so smeared v.fith ink, like an Indian 
with his war paint on, that I really couldn’t — he, he, he! — 
help it 1 Now do n’t be angry v/ith me. Bob, will you ? ” 

“ Wh}^ of course not,” answered Bob. “How absurd to 
suggest such a thing ! Of course I felt as much amused as you 
•did (ah. Bob, that was a little v*^hite fib 1) and I should have 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


75 


Deen surprised if you had n’t laughed ; but meeting with this 
accident just as you came in flustered me a little, and so — ” 

“ O, there, Bob, it don’t need any explanation. But I had 
forgotten you introduced your friend to me. If I ’m not much 
mistaken, this is Jack, whom pa has spoken to me about. I think 
you said his surname was — ” 

“ Wharton,” answered Jack, for he saw that Bob would sure- 
ly flounder into more difiiculties unless he helped him out. 
‘‘Jack Wharton is my full name, but I ’m called Jack by every- 
body.” 

‘‘That includes me, then, and I suppose / must call you 
Jp.ck.” 

‘‘ If you please,” answered Jack, gravely. 

‘‘Well, then. Jack, I am happy to know you, and I really 
hope we shall be good friends.” 

This was said with no appearance of pertness, but in an art- 
less, sincere manner, that convinced Jack that she was in earnest. 

‘‘ I know we shall,” answered Jack, warmly. 

‘‘ Thank you. Jack ; and now. Bob, I ’ll tell you what I came 
to see you about. You remember my necklace with the charm 
on it in the shape of a steel heart ? ” 

‘‘ Certainly, I remember it well. The motto on the heart 
was, ‘ true as steel.’ ” 

‘‘Yes, it was given to me by poor mamma, the very year 
before she died.” And Elsie’s voice faltered and tears filled her 
eyes. ‘‘ But — I ’ve lost it. Bob.” 

‘ ‘ Lost it ! ” 

” Yes, lost it, and I ’m afraid I shall never recover it.” 

‘‘ But some one will find it, and they will be only too glad to 
restore it to you.” 

‘‘ Ah, yes, to be sure, if it were lost in the ordinary way ; but 
the worst of it is, I know where it is lost and yet can’t recover 
if 

‘‘ How can that be ? ” 

“Well, to explain : I was out riding this forenoon, and the 
weather being so pleasant, I went up on the bluffs. I tied Nell 
to a tree and then climbed up a rocky knoll. You know there 
is a fissure in the rock there. Well, something possessed me to 
bend over and look down that wide crevice. As I drew my head 


76 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


back my necklace caught on something. I gave my head a 
little jerk, the necklace parted, and before I could get my fingers 
on it,, it dropped down the crevice.” 

” O, well then, that ’s not so bad, for we can certainly lower 
something and recover it for you.” 

‘‘I don’t see how you can. Bob, for when the necklace 
struck the bottom it must have bounded and got lodged in one 
of the side fissures, for I can see clear to the bottom of the one I 
dropped it in, and the necklace is nowhere in sight.” 

” Well, we must visit the place, anyway, and see what can be 
done. We won’t give it up until we have to.” 

‘‘Thank you, Bob, and now when can we go and make the 
trial ? ’ ’ 

‘‘The sooner the better,” answered Bob. ‘‘I’ll step into 
the other room and get this ink off my face, and then I ’ll be 
ready. I ’ll stop on the way and have mother wait dinner for 
half an hour. By the way, will you go with us. Jack ? ” 

‘‘ I should like to, very much,” answered Jack. 

‘‘ I wish you would. Jack,” said Elsie. ‘‘ I ’ve heard pa say 
you are ever so clever, and goodness knows we shall need some- 
body’s sharp wits if we get that necklace again. Well, then, I ’ll 
go into pa’s office and tell him where I ’m going ; and. Jack, 
would you be so kind as to step across the street and bring my 
pony over? I tied her to that hitching post just in front of the 
large stone store. There was such a crowd of teams when I 
came that I could get no nearer.” 

‘‘ Certainly, with the greatest of pleasure,” responded Jack, 
with alacrity, and he was off in an instant. 

Jack was fond of horses, and Elsie’s pony was a little beauty, 
being a cross between the Iceland and Shetland breeds. He 
had some little time to cultivate her acquaintance, as Bob found 
it no easy matter to remove the traces of ink from his face. But 
in due time he came out, with a very red face, accompanied by 
Elsie, whom Jack assisted into the saddle. 

” Now, then,” said Elsie, ‘‘you know the way. Bob, so I ’ll 
just gallop ahead and meet you on the bluff. Off, Nell !” and 
the little pony cantered off with as much spirit as if she under- 
stood the object of the expedition, and was as much interested as 
any of the party. 


The Business House that Jack Built. 77 

It did not take the boys long to reach the bluff, where they 
found Klsie awaiting them. She conducted them at once to the 
scene of her misfortune, and the situation was found exactly as 
she had described it. The necklace had been dropped in a perpen- 
dicular fissure of the rock about sixty feet in depth. At the bot- 
tom it seemed to branch off in a horizontal direction. The 



■‘I’M AFRAID THIS BEATS ME.” 

mouth of the fissure was so wide that it admitted light enough 
to make the bottom clearly visible, but for six feet from the bot- 
tom it was quite narrow. 

The situation presented grave problems. There was no pos- 
sible chance of reaching the bottom of the fissure except by the 
opening at the top. They could easily lower a hook by means 


78 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


of a cord or chain, but how could they force it into the horizon- 
tal passage where it was quite evident the necklace had lodged ? 

Bob looked down the fissure with his face between his hands 
and pondered. Jack put his hands in his pockets, looked up 
into the clouds, and softly whistled. Elsie looked from one face 
to the other to discover, if possible, some signs of encourage- 
ment, but the expressions on their countenances afforded no 
ground for hope. 

“I’m afraid this beats me,’’ observed Bob, at length. 

Jack scratched his head, but made no reply. 

“You see,’’ continued Bob, “you can’t throw anything 
around a corner, and that ’s what we have got to do if we get 
anything down which can grapple that necklace. We won’t 
give it up yet, however. We know the situation now, and all 
we can do is to go home and think over the matter, and try and 
contrive some method of getting over the difficulties in our way. 
There ’s one consolation, it ’s perfectly safe, as no one is likely to 
steal it.” 

Elsie sighed. 

“Yes,” assented Jack, “we can’t get it by standing here 
and looking at it.” 

“Well, then, let us return home,” said Elsie, with another 
sigh. “I’m ever so much obliged to both of you, and I do 
hope some happy idea will come to you, which will help you to 
work out this horrid problem, but I don’t see how it can be 
done — I declare I don’t.” 

“ While there ’s life there ’s hope,” observed Jack, sagely, with 
the vague idea of offering consolation of some sort. 

Elsie mounted her pony and rode off, and the boys went to 
their dinner. 

“ Isn’t she a beauty, though ! ” exclaimed Jack, rapturously 
gazing at the fair equestrian, who was going rapidly out of their 
sight. 

“ Miss Elsie is a very charming girl,” replied Bob. 

“ O, shucks ! ” returned Jack, hastily, “ I wasn’t speaking 
of the girl — I meant the pony ! ” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


79 


Chapter XVII. 

A COMEDY OF ERRORS. 

'N the conversation at the supper table at 
the Hanlon house the subject was the lost 
necklace. Bob had pondered over the 
problem during the afternoon, but had 
arrived at no solution. Jack had not been 
able to give the subject much thought, but 
now that the matter was brought up, his 
interest revived at once. 

“I do wish,” said Bob, “that some 
practical method could be devised for 
recovering that necklace. Miss Elsie does n’t 
care anything about its intrinsic value, but 
on account of its associations it is a price- 
less jewel in her eyes.” 

“ I would n’t wonder, now, but that she thinks more of it than 
does of her pony,” observed Jack. 

” I have no doubt of it,” answered Bob. 

“Then, I tell you what it is. Bob,” said Jack, very decisively, 
“ we must recover it for her.” 

‘ ‘ Easy enough to say it must be done, but how are we going 
to do it ? ” 

“ What a pity you haven’t a pet squirrel or something that 
could be taught to go down into the crevice and bring up the 
lost treasure,” observed Mrs. Hanlon. 

Bob sighed. 

“Or,” resumed Mrs. Hanlon, “if you. Jack, had the power 
of the old magicians we read about, and could turn yourself into 
a mouse, for instance, how easily this difficulty would be solved !” 

“Yes,” said Jack, “but supposing I should come across a 
snake while I was down there, and get swallowed. Cracky ! 
that would be a joke on me ! ” 



8o The Business House that Jack Built. 

This practical view of the matter had not occurred to Mrs. 
Hanlon. 

“Well, we can’t achieve impossibilities, of course,” said 
Bob, “ but, nevertheless, I hate to give it up.” 

“I don’t intend to,” remarked Jack. “Of course, I ain’t 
such a hand at thinking out things as you are, Bob, but I some- 
how think that we ’ll hit on the right plan yet.” 

This was the night when the construction of Jack’s world 
was to commence, but it was quite evident that the thoughts of 
each were engrossed on a different enterprise, so by a kind of 
silent common consent, the world was left in its chaotic state, 
while the boys were taxing their minds with their new problem. 

Jack suddenly interrupted a long silence by a burst of laugh- 
ter. Bob looked up in some surprise. 

“ I just happened to think,” explained Jack, “of the way I 
teased that little daisy while you were cleaning the ink from 
your face.” 

“The way you teased her, did you say ? ” exclaimed Bob, in 
great astonishment. 

“Yes, I saw at once that she was full of mischief, so I 
thought I would have some fun with her. O, she ’s a tricky 
little piece ! ’ ’ 

“Why, Jack, you surprise me. Are you not forming con- 
clusions on too hasty an acquaintance? ” 

“No, indeed ; I know her like a book. I only wish I owned 
her, that ’s all ! ” 

Bob opened his eyes wider and wider, and regarded Jack in 
extreme amazement. 

“ Now, if I had her, I ’d teach her lots of things. Seems a 
pity — she ’s naturally sharp, and yet don’t know anything.” 

Bob colored up and replied rather sharply : “You are doing 
her an injustice. Jack, and I ’m positively ashamed to hear you 
talk so.” 

“ O, I don’t mean to say that she hasn’t lots of good quali- 
ties, but you see she hasn’t been educated.* All that she 
seemed to know to-day was to kick at me when I tickled her ? ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ When — you — tickled — her ? ’ ’ 

“ Yes, I just wanted to plague her a little to see what she ’d 
do. She got a little mad at me, but it didn’t last for more than 


The Business House that Jack Built. 8i 

a minute. I put my arm around her neck and patted her, and 
she nestled her head on my shoulder as lovingly as you please.” 

Bob at this point rubbed the bridge of his nose violently, 
and then arose from his seat and commenced pacing the floor. 

Jack resumed : 

” She has one bad trick of biting that I a cure her of if 1 
had her. The little vixen gave me quite a nip to-day.” 

” Indeed ! I suppose you had just been tickling or pinching 
her ? ” retorted Bob, quite savagely. 

” No, but to tell the truth, I was trying to examine her 
teeth,” 

^ ‘‘To examine her teeth! Good gracious, won’t you jus 
shorten the category by telling me what 3 ^ou did n’t do ? ” 

‘‘Well, I didn’t punish her for biting me, but if she had 
been mine, I ’d given her a good switching, you just bet your 
life!” 

‘‘Every one to his taste, of course,” said Bob, still pacing 
the room excitedly, ‘‘ but I have my very decided opinion of any 
man who will degrade himself by striking a woman ! ” 

‘‘Who said anything about striking a woman?” retorted 
Jack, indignantly. 

‘‘Who? Didn’t you this very moment say that if Miss 
Elsie had been yours you would have given her a switching for 
biting you ? ” 

N-a-w ! I haven’t said a word about Miss Elsie. Why, 
good gracious. Bob, I was talking about the pony ! ” 

‘‘ What ! ” exclaimed Bob, as he stopped suddenly and faced 
Jack. ‘‘ Was all this talk of yours about the pony ? ” 

‘ ‘ Why certainly. Bob, did you think I was talking about 
the girl ? ” 

“ I ’m a great dunce, of course,” confessed Bob, ‘‘but I cer- 
tainly must acknowledge that I thought all the time you were 
talking about Miss»Elsie.” 

This was too much for Jack. He laughed until he cried. 
Then he walked on his hands across the room, cracked his heels 
together, got up and had another laugh. Bob, too, was in 
remarkably good humor, although he did not manifest it in so 
boisterous a manner. When they finally quieted down they con- 
cluded it was time to retire for the night. 


82 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Jack’s mind had been so stirred up by the events of the day, 
and the ludicrous events of the evening, that he found it impos- 
sible to fall asleep. Finding that he must think about something, 
his mind recurred to the lost necklace. Many schemes suggested 
themselves, but were at once dismissed as altogether impracti- 
cable. Two hours passed away, Jack tossing on his bed and 
wrestling with that intricate problem, when suddenly he started, 
and sitting bolt upright in bed, stared intently at the ceiling for 
several minutes. Then he clapped his hand to his forehead and 
exclaiming, “I’ve got it ! ’’ he jumped up and rushed over to 
Bob’s room. He entered without any ceremony, and, shaking 
the sleeper, exclaimed : “ Bob ! O, Bob ! ’’ 

‘ ‘ What — what — what ’ s the matter ? ’ ’ exclaimed Bob, quite 
bewildered and somewhat alarmed. 

Bob, I ’ve got it ! ’’ exclaimed Jack. 

“Got it? Got what?’’ 

“The idea, you know. It ’s just come to me. I know how 
we can get that necklace ! ’’ 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


83 


Chapter XVIII. 

THE SEARCH FOR A EOST HEART. 

was up the next morning at about five 
o’clock, and after the preparation of a 
hasty toilet, was ready for the important 
work of the day. He had every confi- 
dence in his plan, and we know that 
nothing begets courage more than confi- 
dence. There are many people who can 
make clever plans, design improvements 
and project great enterprises, but who 
can never carry out their purposes because they allow them- 
selves to become despondent by giving too much thought to the 
difficulties of their undertakings. Jack’s plan was not to court 
difficulties, but to meet them with a bold front when they did 
come. He was stimulated by a number of different motives in 
the task of rescuing the lost necklace. In the first place, it was 
a difficulty to conquer ; in the second place, it might give him a 
higher place in the esteem of Mr. Williamson ; in the third 
place, Jack was a little fond of praise and popularity, but this is 
not a weakness unless carried too far by leading one to court 
flattery. 

“Jack,” inquired Bob at the breakfast table, “ how did this 
idea of reaching the necklace happen to occur to you ? ” 

“I don’t know that I’d better tell you,” answered Jack, 
“ for I ’m dead sure you would laugh at me.” 

“ I can’t promise not to,” replied Bob, “if it ’s as ridiculous 
as some of the experiences we have had lately, but, neverthe- 
less, I ’ll promise to try and keep a straight face.” 

“Well, then, I was thinking — just happened to — I don’t 
know how the idea got into my head — about the kind o’ sad 
expression of her eyes ” — 

“Stop right here, now,” interrupted Bob, “and tell me 
which you are talking about, Miss Elsie or the pony.” 



84 


The Business House that Jack B uilt. 

Jack laughed and answered : “I was talking of Miss Elsie 
this time, Bob, and as I was saying, the sad expression of her 
eyes seemed to draw out all my sympathy, and I declare I 
believe I felt nearly as bad about her loss as she did herself, and 
when I was thinking it over last night it seemed to me that if 
she could only look at that necklace in that appealing sort of 
way, it would be drawn right out of its hiding place by the 
magnetism of her looks. Well, you see, that gave me the idea 
and I followed it up.” 

Bob was as good as his word. He did n’t laugh, but he 
rubbed the bridge of his nose meditatively, and was silent for a 
few moments. Finally he asked : ” When shall we make this 
trial ? ” 

“This morning,” answered Jack, promptly. ‘‘You are 
acquainted at Mr. Williamson’s and can go right over and tell 
Miss Elsie, so that she can meet us on the bluff in about half an 
hour. By that time I ’ll have everything ready.” 

” But, Jack,” suggested Bob, ‘‘ would n’t it be best to quietly 
make the the experiment ourselves without saying anything to 
any one ? Suppose now it should n’t work.” 

‘‘It’s bound to work,” answered Jack, very positively. 
‘‘ Bet you a horse against a peanut that we will have that neck- 
lace in our hands before we eat another dinner ! ” 

‘‘ I sincerely hope we will,” said Bob, ‘‘ but I shouldn’t like 
to raise Miss Elsie’s hopes and fail to see them realized.” 

‘‘But we will see them realized,” persisted Jack; ‘‘so you 
start right off and tell Miss Elsie, get Mr. Stephenson to excuse 
me for an hour, and I ’ll hustle around and get things together 
and meet you on the bluff ; then, if I am not as good as my 
word, you may kick me all the way back.” 

Bob’s misgivings had to give way before the force of Jack’s 
positiveness, and, after bestowing a little extra care on his toilet 
and giving an additional polish to his shoes, he started on his 
mission with a very red face, and a perceptibly nervous manner. 
Jack in the meantime was at work in the laboratory perfecting 
his plans. In about twenty minutes he came out with his appa- 
ratus, which was no formidable affair, for it was done up in a 
small package and could not have weighed more than two 
pounds. Before starting in the direction of the bluff, he stopped 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


85 


at a toy store and made an addition to his supplies, and then, 
everything apparently being secured, he started off on a brisk 
walk for the scene of his next triumph or — but no, we have 
Jack’s word that it could n’t prove a failure. 



i. 






86 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XIX. 

THK NOTABIvE EXPERIMENT. 

arrived on the bluff with spirits exhilerated 
lively walk and all eagerness to make 
the attempt for the recovery of the necklace. 

; He found Bob and Elsie had already arrived, 

' and the notable pony was there also, tied to a 
4 tree. Elsi^ was the picture of health and 

bouyancy of spirits. Her rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes 
showed the effect of her healthful morning exercise, and the 
excitement of this novel enterprise heightened the charms in 
which nature had been quite lavish. She advanced to meet 
Jack, and taking him warmly by the hand, exclaimed : 

“ O, Jack, how very clever in 3^ou to put yourself to so much 
trouble and worry just to recover a little trinket for me. Bos 
w'on’t tell me how you are going to do it, and he even hints that 
you may not succeed, but I know j^ou will, because pa says 
when 3"OU undertake to accomplish anything, you will certainl}’’ 
succeed, if human perseverance amounts to anything.” 

“I didn’t wish Miss Elsie to be too confident,” explained 
Bob, “because of course there is a bare possibility of our not 
succeeding, and I wished to avoid a sad disappointment on your 
part.” 

“ O, what a little old man you are. Bob ! ” said Elsie, merrily. 
“Always so cautious that I wonder you don’t have your break- 
fast analyzed before you venture to eat it. But, Jack, do get 
that package open and let me see the magic wand, /or I am con- 
vinced you must have been in league with the fairies during the 
night, or you could n’t have made the wonderful plan which is 
going to attempt impossible things.” 

“Not impossible, I hope. Miss Elsie,” answered Jack, and 
then with a touch of gallantry he added, at the same time look- 
ing a trifle foolish, “ I will admit, however, that a fairy had 
something to do with it.” 



87 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

In the meantime Jack had opened his parcel, showing a good 
sized horseshoe magnet, some short lengths of chain and a long 
cord. 

“Now then,” said Jack, “one to begin and two to show. 
This is a very powerful magnet, as you see by the way it holds 
on to this bar. There is a steel heart attached to your neck- 
lace ” — 

“ I see ! I see ! ” interrupted Blsie, “ you are going to draw 
out the necklace by an attachment on my heart ! ’ ’ Then she 
stopped and blushed as she realized that her remark might be 
.construed in a slightly different manner from that intended. 

Jack did not notice it, however, but resumed : “Yes, that 's 
the whole secret of it. When the magnet is near enough to the 
heart to influence it and once gets hold of it, the necklace is 
bound to come.” 

Elsie looked thoughtful. “I understand your plan so far, 
but suppose the necklace is so far back in the fissure that the 
magnet won’t attract it, then what?” 

“ Then we must send the magnet in after it.” 

“ Yes, but how ? ” 

Jack opened another package and took out some large fire- 
crackers. “ Perhaps you have heard of people being ‘ fired- out ’ 
of a place ; well, I propose that the magnet shall be fired in.” 

“ Q, Jack,” exclaimed Elsie, enthusiastically, “ what a won- 
derful brain you have got ! But, now, tell me what do you intend 
doing with those short pieces of chain ? ” 

“ Why, there ’s no telling where the magnet will be thrown 
by the explosion, and it might still be out of range of the heart. 
Now by fastening these chains to the magnets, they become 
magnetized themselves, and if any one should happen to strike 
the heart it will hang on to it.” 

Elsie clapped her hands and laughed. “Why, Jack, you 
have foreseen every difiiculty, and I am sure you will succeed. 
Now are you ready ? ’ ’ 

“ All but lighting the fire-cracker — and now that is done, so 
we shall soon know our fate.” 

The magnet was slowly lowered into the crevice, the fuse of 
the fire-cracker sending up a little tiny line of smoke. Jack was 
cool, but his heart throbbed with excitement, and Elsie and Bob 


88 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


scarcely dared to breathe as they watched the descent of Jack’s 
little messenger. But the bottom was soon reached, the fuse 
still sending up its smoke signal that it was doing its work. 
Then there were a few moments of painful suspense. All at 
once the smoke seemed to die away. Had the fuse been extin- 
guished ? No, for suddenly there was a little spitting flash, 
then a loud explosion followed, and the bottom was enveloped 
in clouds of smoke. 

Jack at once commenced drawing up the line. By the slant 
of the cord and the resistance offered he knew that the magnet 
had been blown into the side of the crevice. Soon however, the 
line vibrated, and he knew that his freight, whatever it was, was 
ascending. They could see nothing at the bottom, for the smoke. 

Bob was leaning over the mouth of the crevice ready to 
announce the first appearance of the magnet. Suddenly he 
shouted : “ It ’s in sight ! ” 

“ The necklace ? ” inquired Elsie, eagerly. 

“ No, not the necklace — at least I can ’t see it yet, but wait 
a moment — it’s coming out of the smoke! I think — I won’t 
be sure — but — hurrah!” shouted Bob, excitedly, jumping 
to his feet, ” the necklace is coming ! ” 

Jack continued to pull up with a kind of dogged patience ; 
Elsie bent eagerly over the crevice, and then following Bob’s 
example exclaimed : O, Jack, Jack, you dear good fellow, 
you ’ve certainly got it ! ” 

And he certainly had, for clinging to one of the chains, close 
enough to the magnet to give it sufficient power, the steel heart 
with the necklace in tow was coming up to the surface of the 
earth again. Jack’s plan was a shining success, and as he 
detached the necklace and handed it to Elsie, that exemplary 
young lady could n’t resist the temptation to take both of Jack’s 
hands, and, giving them a vigorous squeeze, exclaimed : “Jack, 
you are a jewel, and I ’ll remember you for this as long as I 
have power to remember anything.” 

But Jack was so full of happiness over his triumph, that he 
could find no words to give it expression. I rather suspect that 
if Elsie had not been present he would have found it necessary 
to stand on his head and crack his heels together a few times to 
get the necessary relief. But Elsie was anxious to get home and- 



The Business House that Jack Built. 89 

bring back the joyful news, so she mounted her pony and 
galloped rapidly away. 

“Now, then. Bob,” said Jack, “let’s be off to the office. 
Hang it, though, I feel too much excited to work now. What 
do you say to fifteen minutes at leap frog ? ” 

“ Agreed ! ” said Bob, and some astonishing leaps were made 
on that beautiful morning on the bluff. 


90 


The business House that Jack Built, ' 


Chapter XX. 

ANOTHER PROBtEM. 

I'he news of the success ‘of Jack’s 
experiment reached the office in 
advance of Jack and Bob, for Elsie 
^ had called there to convey the 
joyful tidings to her father. The result 
was that Jack received a very flattering 
ovation, and was looked upon as quite 
a hero. 

Mr. Williamson called Jack into his 
private office, and taking him warmly 
by the hand, remarked : “Jack, I 
really feel proud of this little achieve- 
ment of 3^ours. Not on account of the 
service you have done me, but because 
it indicates a trait of character which will 
conquer success for you in larger enterprises. 
Another person might have conceived the 
very plan which you have brought to a successful issue, and yet 
it would have remained only a plan for want of the nerve, perse- 
verance and determination necessary to work it out. Now, Jack, 
didn’t you think of the possibility of failure and the probability 
that you would be laughed at for indulging in so wild and pre- 
posterous a scheme as it would then have been called ? ” 

“No, sir,” answered Jack, “ I didn’t think anything about 
its failing. Why, it could n’t fail, sir. When I ‘figured out how 
it could be done, I considered it was done.” 

“ But did n’t you fear that some unforeseen difficulties might 
arise ? ” 

“ No, sir, I can’t say I did. It would n’t have done any good 
to imagine any troubles without knowing how to meet ’em. 
Besides it takes away a fellow’s courage if he is all the time 
thinking that maybe his plans won’t work right, and that some- 
thing or other, he don’t know what, is going to beat ’em.” 



91 


The Business House that Jack Built, 

“ Very good philosophy, Jack, and under proper restrictions 
a very proper principle to act upon in the more important enter- 
prises of life. While a person should consider all the difficulties 
and the dangers of any undertaking, it is necessary that a feel- 
ing of confidence in his success should predominate before he is 
properly qualified to win it. I know so many people who are 
excellent at planning. Our friend Bob is one of them. They 
are like a hunter preparing the most ingenious traps to catch a 
bear, but never succeeding because, they fear that possibly the 
trap won’t work and the bear will catch theyn. But here am I 
lecturing again, as usual. You can go on with your work now. 
Jack. There will be plenty of opportunities in this business for 
testing your ingenuity in planning and pluck in executing.” 

Jack went to his desk and entered upon the work of tke day. 

We have omitted to mention an inmate of the office in the 
person of the boy of all work, who attended to copying and mail- 
ing the letters, filing papers and doing various office odds and 
ends. He was not a model boy, by any means, and was not at 
all liked by any of the office force. It required constant watch- 
ing to keep him up to the strict line of duty. He seemed to 
consider that he was employed to kill so many hours’ time, and 
he was always looking for the easiest way to do it. If he had 
any purpose or plans, no living person had ever been able to dis- 
cover them. Richard Silvers was his name, but he was known 
as Dick. Tom Staples got the boy his place, and stoutly insisted 
that there was a good vein in Dick’s nature if they could only 
strike it. Everybody about the office knew that Tom cham- 
pioned Dick because his mother was a widow and partly 
depended upon the pay that the boy received for her living. It 
was known that Tom always drew the pay and carried it himself 
to Dick’s mother, and it somehow doubled up in amount on the 
way from the office to the widow’s. Dick was a surly fellow, 
and was always under the shadow of some grievance. He was 
continuously, in his own opinion, being imposed upon by some- 
body and his rights ruthlessly trampled under foot. Jack felt 
under the shadow of his displeasure at once. He felt very much 
aggrieved that a strange boy without any experience should be 
elevated right over his head and made one of the regular office 
force. He showed his resentment in various ways, and took 


92 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


occasion to subject Jack to many little annoyances. One day he 
commenced to dust Jack’s desk very zealously, and was not 
ready to desist until he had succeeded in tipping over the ink 
bottle. Jack warned him then that if he ever spilled another 
drop of ink on his desk he would rub his nose in it, and he cer- 
tainly would have kept his word. This morning Dick was par- 
ticularly surly, and would n’t look at Jack when he entered the 
room. He managed, however, to show his resentment in various 
ways, which Jack finally noticed. Once or twice he tried to 
trip Jack by carelessly throwing out his foot as he was passing. 
This began to grow a little monotonous, and Jack began to 
think it was time to put a stop to it. He soon had occasion to 
go into another room for a large book. On returning with the 
book in his arms he purposely passed near Dick to offer him 
temptation. Dick saw his chance, and accidentally put a stool 
in Jack’s way. But Jack must have been very awkward and 
nervous that morning, for as he stumbled over the obstruction 
the book flew out of his hands, alighting on Dick’s desk and 
demolished two bottles of ink. 

In trying to recover himself he pitched forward violently, 
landing his head in the pit of Dick’s stomach, pitching that 
astonished individual off his stool and laying him out sprawling 
on the floor. 

“ Whew ! ” exclaimed Jack, “ little more and I'd lost my 
balance ! Good thing you were in my way to catch my fall, 
Dick, or I ’d gone sure.” 

Dick slowly gathered himself up, but evidently was at a loss 
what to say or do. He saw that Jack had caught him in his 
own trap, and it left him no remedy but to pocket his defeat and 
trust to some other opportunity for his revenge. Tom Staples 
witnessed the whole affair, and, happening to look out of the 
window, saw something that made him laugh most immoderately, 
but when asked what it was, he assured the boys that it was 
something too good to tell. Upon which Ned Holman very 
solemnly winked, and then hustled out of the room — to speak 
with Mr. Noel, he said. 

Jack had occasion to visit the bookkeeper during the fore- 
noon, and Mr. Noel took the opportunity to congratulate him on 
the success of the morning. 


93 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“By the way, Jack,” said he, “if you like practical prob- 
lems, I ’ve got one for you. I 've got here a petty cash drawer 
which is kept locked, and I am supposed to be the only one who 
has a key. I unlock it to put in or take out money, and you see 
that by means of a spring it flies back into its place automati- 
cally and locks itself. Now, curiously enough, every little 
while I miss money out of that drawer. Sometimes a small 
amount, sometimes larger.” 

“ But how can you tell what is missing ? ” inquired Jack. 

“ Easily enough. I know how much is in th^ drawer in the 
morning, for I count it carefully. I make a memorandum of all 
the petty sales made during the day, which added to what I had 
in the morning shows just what I should have in the drawer at 
night.” 

“ But suppose you make a mistake in giving change ? ” 

Mr. Noel quietly smiled, and answered : “I am not addicted 
to mistakes of that kind, Jack, but of course as no one is infal- 
lible, I have satisfied myself by absolute proofs that the money has 
been taken. I have marked particular coins as I dropped them 
in the drawer, and at night they were missing.” 

‘ ‘ But when does the stealing occur ? ’ ’ 

“ It must be during the day, for the drawer is put in the 
vault at night, and no one has access to the vault but myself. 
My idea is that it must be tampered with while I am at dinner, 
but there is no one on whom I can fix any suspicions. I would 
have some one watch the drawer, but there is no way of con- 
cealing him. The thief evidently thinks the amounts are not 
missed, and by limiting himself to small sums, he can enjoy his 
privileges indefinitely, but I really wish I could contrive some 
way of catching him.” 

Jack was thoughtful. “ It ’s a hard one, Mr. Noel, but I ’d 
like to think over it. Not that I think of anything now, but 
sometimes a scheme will just blunder into my head, that I 
could n’t have studied out to save my life.” 

“ Very good. Jack, take your own time for it, and when you 
are ready to report progress, let me know. ’ ’ 

Jack wrestled with his new problem. He ate his dinner with 
the vexed question by his plate. When he lay down at nigljt it 
was on his pillow. The next morning he and the problem 


94 


The Business House that Jack Built. 




awoke at the same time, but all of a sudden the “blundering 
scheme” that Jack spoke of came tumbling into his brain, and 
before he was ready for breakfast. Jack felt morally certain that 
he would soon be known as — 

“ The cat that caught the rat that ate the malt that lay in 
the house that Jack built.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


95 


Chapter XXL 



setting the trap. 

EEL, Jack,” observed Mr. Noel, as he 
encountered our hero in his office 
where he was awaiting his arrival, 

‘ ‘ is the committee on ways and means 
for the detection of burglars ready to 
report ? ’ ’ 

‘‘Yes, sir,” answered Jack, with 
his usual promptness. 

‘ ‘ Indeed ! Then you must have been doing some very rapid 
planning since I saw you last. It is evident that your brain 
must be more fertile in expedients than mine is, for this problem 
has baffled all my efforts since I first attempted a solution of it.” 

‘‘Well, as I told you yesterday,” answered Jack, “some- 
times ideas just blunder into my head, and I don’t have much to 
do except to catch ’em and hold ’em. This plan of mine 
occurred to me this morning just as I was getting up ; and now 
I ’d like to go right to work and get my trap ready.” 

“ Very good ; I am at your service, and will cheerfully put 
myself under your instructions and work according to your 
orders. But first tell me your plan. Jack, so that I can work 
with a little share of your enthusiasm.” 

Jack then made known to Mr. Noel all the details of his plan 
for the detection and capture of the thief. He was listened to 
with close attention, although a close observer might have 
noticed that Mr. Noel’s mouth twitched occasionally, as if h^ 
were trying very hard to repress a laugh. As Jack concluded, 
he yielded to his inclinations, and leaning back in his chair 
laughed loud and heartily. 

Jack’s face flushed and his countenance lengthened, as the 
idea suggested itself that Mr. Noel could see nothing but the 
ridiculous in his plan, while he, in his zeal, saw nothing at all 
amusing about it. It was a serious matter of business with him. 


96 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


“ Perhaps, Mr. Noel,” he remarked, somewhat hastily, ” you 
think my plan is a foolish one and won’t work, but I know it 
will ; and if you will give me leave to go ahead and fix your 
drawer, I ’ll get you a new one and pay all the damages if I 
don’t catch the thief ! ” 

” I beg your pardon. Jack,” answered Mr. Noel. ” I assure 
you I was not laughing because I saw anything absurd or 
impracticable in your plans, but purely at their novelty and 
originality. How such a scheme could have entered your young 
brain is more than I can imagine. But I am willing and anxious 
to help you ; so what do you propose to do first ? 

‘‘ I want to take the drawer into some room where I can lock 
myself in, and do my tinkering without anybody being around 
to ask questions. In an hour I ’ll have the drawer fitted up ; 
and then, if you can lock up this oflBce for fifteen minutes or so, 
so as to keep everybody out, I will have the trap all laid by 
noon.” 

” Very good. There is a little room directly overhead, where 
you can go on with your work entirely unmolested. When you 
are ready let me know, and I’ll contrive some way to lock up 
the office and keep out intruders.” 

” But what excuse shall I make to Mr. Williamson ? ” 

” I will tell him that I have got you employed on some par- 
ticular work, which will be true enough. I don’t think it will 
be necessary to explain anything about this affair to him. He 
knows nothing about these thievings, as I did not wish to bother 
his mind about such an affair, when he has plenty of more 
important matters to occupy his attention. So, away with you. 
Jack, for I am as anxious to put this thing to a test as you are.” 

Jack drew the drawer from its place, darted up stairs and 
went to work at once. He had brought with him his tool-box 
and all the necessary apparatus for constructing his trap, and 
was fully equipped for business. 

In less than an hour Jack returned to Mr. Noel with the 
report that the drawer was all ready to be replaced. 

“All right, Jack,” responded Mr. Noel. “Now you want 
to bring the drawer down without anybody seeing you? Very 
good. I ’ll just stand out in the hall and when the coast is clear 
I ’ll whistle. Then hustle down with it, and we ’ll lock our- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


97 


selves in and get the whole scheme in working order. By the 
way, have you tested it — the drawer, I mean ? ” 

“Yes, sir.” 

‘ ‘ And how does it work ? ’ ’ 

“ Bully ! I came precious near catching myself with it, and 
thought, one time, I ’d have to holler to you to help me out.” 

Mr. Noel gave vent to another laugh, in which Jack joined. 

‘ ‘ That speaks well for the trap, for if it will catch the 
inventor it can surely catch the culprit. I do hope the thief 
won’t disappoint us to-day, for I am extremely anxious to have 
him visit us, now that we are fully prepared to receive him. 
Come on. Jack ; scud up stairs and await my signal.” 

Jack bounded up stairs and Mr. Noel waited out in the hall. 
In about five minutes he gave the signal and Jack hurried down, 
carrying the drawer equipped with the thief-trap. They entered 
the office unobserved, and Mr. Noel locked the door. They then 
went to work with a will, and in a very few minutes everything 
was ready. 

“ Now, Jack,” said Mr. Noel, “ let ’s rehearse this little per- 
formance. I ’ll play the thief, and if this trap catches me and 
holds me, I think its efficacy will be pretty well proved.” 

“All right,” said Jack. “Now, go ahead, and when you 
get caught and find you can’t get away, just holler.” 

Mr. Noel seized the handles of the drawer, and sure enough^ 
he was a prisoner ! He struggled hard to escape, but without 
avail. He soon tired of these efforts and called out: “Jack, 
Jack ! quick ; help me ! Good gracious ! I can’t endure this much 
longer ! ” 

“ Do you think it will work ? ” asked Jack, very deliberately. 

“Work ? Great guns ! isn’t it working now in a way that 
will drive me frantic in half a minute ? Do hurry up, Jack — 
Ah-h ! ” said he, with a sigh of relief and stroking his arms, as 
Jack came to the rescue. ‘ ‘ That was about the most convincing 
argument / ever received. Now, then, we’ll adjourn until 
noon, and then ring up the curtain on the second act.” 

Jack returned to his desk, but his mind was not on his work. 
He was anxious for the hour of noon to arrive, for he felt that 
he was going to score another victory and mount one round 
higher on the ladder of success. 


98 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXII. 

THIEF TRAPPING. 

IME and tide wait for no man.” Twelve 
o’clock came at the usual time on that 
eventful day, and Jack put away his 
books, remarking to Bob : “ Tell your 

mother not to wait dinner for me, for I 
want to finish the little work I ’m doing 
for Mr. Noel. If I get through in time, 
I ’ll run home and take a cold bite.” 

He then hurried off to meet Mr. 
Noel. He found him locking the vault 
preparatory to leaving the office. 

“Well,” said he, “the time has 
come. Jack, for us to mount our guard. Now, where can we 
station ourselves, so that we can hear the signal and be prepared 
to respond to it ? ” 

“ Can’t we go in the room right overhead ? ” 

“ Yes, but can we hear anything there ? ” 

“ Certainly, when I was at work up there I could hear your 
call-bell, and it’s a good deal more quiet now’ than it was then.” 

“Very w’ell, then, that will answer, but lest there may be 
some one around to watch our movements, we had better go 
down stairs as usual, and then return by the back stairs.” 

“ Agreed,” said Jack, and this part of the program was duly 
carried out. Arriving at the room over the counting house, they 
placed themselves by the door, which was slightly ajar, and 
commenced their silent watch. The clerks had not all gone, but 
one by one they left the office, and the hum of business ceased. 
In a little while all was so quiet that they could even hear the 
ticking of the large office clock. Neither spoke, but Jack’s 
heart beat violently under the influence of the excitement of the 
situation. The only fear was that the thief might not make his 
usual call, and the very thought made Jack indignant. He was 



99 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

anxious for some one to commit a crime ! Must they watch in 
this way day after day, until the thief’s pecuniary circumstances 
compelled him to draw on the till again ? 

But hark ! What noise is that ? 

It is a footstep, and it is a cautious and stealthy one. Jack 
looked at Mr. Noel and winked. Mr. Noel nodded, and both 
leaned forward and listened. Yes, no doubt about it ; it was a 
footstep, and it was going straight to the bookkeeper’s desk. If 
this was the thief, their suspense would soon be over, for he 
would soon be at his work. The sound of the footsteps ceased. 
What a thrilling, exciting moment; as the watchers listened with 
bated breath for the signal. Would it come ? Was there a 
probability of there having been a mistake made in the adjust- 
ment of the apparatus ? These doubts were quickly set at rest 
for — “ dingle, dingle ! ” rang sharply out from the office, accom- 
panied by an agonized cry which combined surprise, terror and 
pain. Mr. Noel and Jack dashed out of the room, and rushed 
rapidly down stairs. The signal kept ringing and the voice con- 
tinued to shout. The door of the counting-house was open, 
and this was what met their gaze as they rushed in : 

Young Dick Silvers, grasping the two handles of the money- 
drawer, dancing, writhing and twisting, while he shouted as a 
sort of accompaniment to these strange actions : 

“ Help ! Murder ! Fire ! O, good Tord ! O, Mr. Satan, do 
let me go ! O, murder ! Fire ! I ’ll never do it again ! Tet me 
go, Mr. Satan ! O, good Tord, do let me go, and I ’ll never do 
it again as long as I live ! ’ ’ 

The situation was comical in the extreme, and Mr. Noel and 
Jack must have had natures strangely unsusceptible to the 
ludicrous, if they had maintained their gravity. 

Jack threw his head back and roared with laughter ; then, as 
that did n’t appear to relieve him, he turned a few hand- springs. 

By this time Dick had discovered the presence of his visitors, 
and turned his horror-stricken face towards them. He was 
deathly pale ; his eyes looked wild, his hair stood on end and 
his teeth chattered. 

“ O, Mr. Noel — please, Mr. Jack — do drive this thing 
away, whatever it is, and let me get away from it.” 

“ Why don’t you let go the handles ? ” inquired Jack. 


loo The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ I can 7 let go ! ” groaned Dick. “ I can ’t move my fingers, 
and it’s tearing my arms to pieces ! O, do help me, if you can, 
and I ’ll never, never do it again ! ” 

“ Never do what ? '’ asked Jack. 

“Never rob the drawer again.’’ 

“ O, then, it ’s you who has been stealing money out of this 
drawer all along, is it ? ’ ’ 

“ No, no ; I did n’t mean that — I — ’’ 

“Then we ’ll wait a little while for you to find out what you 
do mean.’^ 

“ No, no ; don’t wait another minute. Do help me away ! 
I too*k the money, but I’ll promise you never, never to do it 
again, if you ’ll only get me loose ! ’’ 

Jack picked up a ruler with a metalic edge, and with it con- 
nected the two handles of the drawer, and Dick was at once 
released, and commenced to rub his arms. He was terribly agi- 
tated, however, and continued to tremble violently. Jack 
pulled the drawer open, keeping the handles connected by means 
of the ruler, and the mystery of the thief- trap was exposed to 
view. It was an electric battery of intense energy, placed inside 
the drawer. The positive pole was connected bj^ a wire with 
one handle of the drawer, and the negative pole with the other. 
The handles were of iron, and when they were united by a con- 
ductor, the circuit was complete and the battery discharged its 
full force. A signal bell was attached, which rang when the cir- 
cuit was formed. Dick, in taking hold of the two handles, 
united the two poles, his hands, arms and body serving as a 
conductor. The current was strong enough to contract the 
muscles of his fingers and render him powerless to relinquish 
his grasp. 

Dick was so astonished when he encountered his mysterious 
antagonist that it is not surprising that his superstition prevailed 
over all other feelings, and that he felt that either the Lord or 
“ Mr. Satan ’’ were the powers he had to contend with. 

Now, as he looked from the battery to Jack, the inference 
dawned upon his mind that the two were closely related, and he 
realized that it was not the “ Prince of Darkness,’’ but Jack, 
whom he more cordially hated, who was at the bottom of this 
scheme. 


The Business House that Jack Built. lor 

“ Dick,” said Mr. Noel, sternly, ‘‘you have been caught in 
the act of tampering with the cash drawer ; and you have con- 
fessed, in the presence of two witnesses, that you have been 
stealing from this drawer from time to time. Now, you must 
make a clean breast of this whole affair. Have you any accom- 
plices — in other words, has any other person been associated 
with you in these crimes ? ” 

‘‘No, sir.” 

‘‘ How did you come by the key to the drawer which you 
have ? ” 

‘‘You left yours on the desk, one day, and I pressed it into 
a piece of wax and had a key made.” 

“And now, what do you suppose we are going to do with 
you?” 

‘‘ I do n’t know, sir,” and Dick commenced to whimoer. “If 
you ’ll only let me off this time, I ’Jl never — ” 

‘‘ O, I know,” interrupted Mr. Noel ; ‘‘you will never do it 
again — until you have a better chance. But. sir, such crimes 
must not be allowed to go unpunished. We will consider your 
case this afternoon. In the meantime you must remain here a 
prisoner. Come up stairs with me, and I will lock you up until 
we make our decision. Jack, while I am doing this, you step 
into the restaurant below and bring him up his dinner. Criminals 
must eat while they live, as well as honest people.” 

Jack went off promptly on his errand, and in a short time the 
prisoner was made secure in his room over the counting house, 
and his captors went on their way to dinner. 

‘‘What are we going to do with him?” inquired Jack, as 
they were walking homeward. ‘‘ I kind o’ hate to have him 
sent to jail on account of his mother.” 

‘‘ I am at a loss to decide what to recommend,” answered Mr. 
Noel. ‘‘ He must be punished in some way, but not by a legal 
process, if it can be avoided. His mother is a very worthy 
woman, and the disgrace of a criminal action would break her 
heart.” 

‘‘ Why not leave it to Tom Staples? ” inquired Jack. 

‘‘The very thing. Tom employed Dick, and is a kind of 
sponsor. to him. He will soon discover a way of dealing with 
him. And, by the way. Bob Hanlon must be taken into our 


102 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


council ; and Ned Holman, too, may give us some good ideas. 
Yes ; we will have a council of the boys immediately after din- 
ner, and decide this matter at once.’’ 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


103 


Chapter XXIII. 


THE GREAT TRIAL. 



RS. 


Hanlon had not obeyed Jack’s injunction. 
She had waited dinner for half an hour, and 
when he arrived he found the dinner table 
set, when they all immediately sat down to 
the enjoyment of their repast. Jack was 
both empty and full. The work and bustle 
of the morning had given him a keen appe- 
tite, which was heightened by the display of 
some tempting dishes which were Jack’s 
special favorites. He was full, in the sense 


of importance and elation over the exploits of the day, and the 
unsolved problem of Dick’s future destiny. The story, when 
told, created no little sensation. Mrs. Hanlon was very much 
astonished at the developments of Dick’s crookedness, and gave 
it as her opinion that the young sinner ought to have ‘ ‘ a severe 
talking to.” 

Bob was silent and thoughtful. 

“ I ’ve got nothing against Dick,” said Jack. “Of course, 
he ’s a mean little snipe, and has tried to play all sorts of mean, 
sneaking tricks on me ; but, shucks ! I always beat him at his 
own game, and haven’t laid up any hard feelings against him.” 

“Dick must be punished in some way, of course,” observed 
Bob; “but I question the propriety of a public disgrace. It 
might make him feel he was ruined, and he would have no 
courage to attempt a reform. But if he escapes too easily this 
time, it may make him feel that he can commit other dishonest 
acts with impunity.” 

“ Mr. Noel thought we had better see Tom Staples about it,” 
observed Jack. 

“Well, that’s a good idea. If Tom hasn’t one of his 
obstinate fits on, he will propose something sensible. We must 
prevent Tom and Ned from getting into a dispute over it, how- 


104 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


ever, if we want to finish up the business to-day. But let us 
hurry to the office, for we have no time to lose.” 

The improvised court of justice was opened in the book- 
keeper’s office, and the case stated to these self-appointed officers 
of justice by Mr. Noel. 

” Now,” said the speaker, in conclusion, “we all feel sorry 
for this bo}^ and so far as we are concerned, would be satisfied 
to let him go free with a reprimand, but we feel that it would 
not be dealing justly by him or kindly by his mother to avoid 
the infliction of some kind of punishment ; but it should be one 
that would not be followed by disgrace which a life-time would 
not be able to efface. It has been suggested, Tom, that as you 
have been looking after the interests of this boy, and understand 
his nature better than the rest of us, that you could propose 
some method of correcting him.” 

” I think I can,” answered Tom. ” I have made this boy a 
special study. His moral nature is weak, and he should not be 
in a city where he is constantly exposed to temptations. I have 
tried for a long time to have him sent to the country. A brother 
of mine is willing to take him and do well by him ; but Dick has 
an idea that country life means work, and he is a little conserva- 
tive when it comes to hard labor. Now, Dick is very credulous 
and superstitious, and I think we can take advantage of this 
weakness and punish him in a way that would be more effective 
than any that the law would furnish.” 

Tom then gave the details of his plan, and the scheme was 
received with great favor by all present. It was decided to con- 
summate all the arrangements during the afternoon, and at five 
o’clock the prisoner was to meet them all in a vacant room over- 
head, and receive his punishment. 

Promptly at five o’clock, four taps of a muffled drum were 
heard proceeding from the room now utilized as a court of jus- 
tice. As the last stroke fell, the prisoner’s door was unlocked, 
and Bob Hanlon entered the room carrying a drawn sword, and 
took Dick by the hand. Without speaking a word he stood 
still, evidently awaiting a signal. It came. Five taps on the 
muffled drum were heard, and Bob then started forward with his 
prisoner and proceeded to the designated headquarters. It was 
an impressive sight that greeted the affrighted Dick as they 


The Business House that Jack Built, 105 

entered the room. On a platform sat Tom Staples enveloped in 
a black robe which reached to his feet. A black cap was on his 
head, on which was drawn, in white outline, a human skull. At 
a little table on the left sat Mr. Noel dressed in a white robe, 
with a large scroll before him and a huge quill pen in his hand. 
Standing in front of the platform, with drawn swords crossed, 
were Jack and Ned Holman. As Bob entered he raised the hilt 
of his sword and touched his forehead, announcing in a solemn 
tone : 

“ Most Worthy Chief, behold the prisoner ! ” 

“ Proclaim the council opened,” commanded Tom. 

” Hear ye, hear ye,” announced Mr. Noel, in a low, solemn 
tone. “The Council of the Sacred Order of the Red Right 
Hand is now open ! ” 

On this announcement every member of this mystic circle 
withdrew his right glove exposing a hand in crimson red. Jack 
and Ned seated themselves on stools in front of the platform, and 
Tom Staples arose from his seat. 

“ Richard Silvers,” said he, “ know you that you are now in 
the Council Chamber of the Sacred order of the Red Right 
Hand. Lest you may be in ignorance regarding the nature of 
the ordeal you are about to undergo, I will state that the object 
of this order is to protect honesty and punish crime, when acts 
are committed involving the rights of our members. We believe 
that the law is too mild in its punishment, and believe that 
when one person commits a crime against his associates, it is an 
offense w^hich should be followed by the swiftest retribution. 
The Grand Marshal will now formulate the charges against the 
prisoner. ’ ’ 

Bob then proceeded to read from manuscript an embellished 
account of Dick’s crime, all the details being given with the 
utmost exactness. 

When Bob had finished, Tom again addressed Dick. 

“Prisoner, you have heard the charges which have been 
recited against you. How say you, are you guilty or not 
guilty?” 

Dick trembled violently but was silent. 

“Prisoner,” said Tom again, “a fearful punishment awaits 
you if you fail to respond to the questions of the Most Worthy 


I 




107 


\ 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

Grand Chief. Again I ask you, are you guilty or not guilty of 
the charges which have been recited against you ? ” 

“ G-g-guilty,” gasped Dick. 

“ Be his confession of guilt recorded.” 

Mr. Noel then made a show of writing on the manuscript 
before him, and then saluting Tom, announced : 

” Most Worthy Grand Chief, his confession of guilt is 
recorded.” 

‘ ‘ The Royal Guards will then prepare the chamber for the 
rites of sentence.” 

Jack and Ned immediately lowered two black curtains, mak- 
ing the room as dark as night. On a screen back of Tom 
appeared a glowing skeleton, which Jack had that afternoon 
sketched by means of phosphorous. 

” Prisoner,” said Tom, very solemnly, ” by the most positive 
evidence, corroborated by your own confession, you have com- 
mitted the darkest crime known to our order. You have abused 
the confidence of one of your associates, impoverished his finan- 
ces, and disquieted his mind. The law would say that you 
should be imprisoned ; but the Sacred Order of the Red Right 
Hand holds that you are no longer a fit subject to live among 
the dwellers of the land, and hereby declares that upon you be 
inflicted the severest punishment inflicted by our order, and that 
punishment is — death I ’ * 



io8 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXIV. 

A NEW LIFE. 

S THE dreadful words of Tom’s sentence 
fell upon Dick’s ear the effect was so 
striking that it moved to pity the hearts 
of his persecutors. The blow was so 
sudden, so unexpected, and lastly so 
terrible, that it came with stunning 
effect upon the mind of the poor priso- 
ner, and for a time deprived him of the 
power of speech. He trembled vio- 
lently, his eyes were fixed with a 
frightened stare on Tom, and his teeth 
chattered as if his frame was seized 
with a severe chill. His persecutors could not help pitying him, 
although not a muscle of their faces indicated anything but a 
stern inflexibility of purpose, and a grim determination to see 
that the demands of justice were satisfied. Dick made several 
efforts to speak, but his agitation was so great that he could only 
gasp and stammer. 

Tom then addressed the prisoner as follows : 

“ Prisoner, you have now the privilege of showing cause, if 
any exists, why the sentence of the order should not be at once 
executed. If you have any reason to offer why you should not 
suffer the penalty imposed upon you by this sentence, the pres- 
ent time is the only opportunity you will have for making it 
known. Speak now, or be forever silent.” 

Thus adjured, Dick made another etiort to express himself, 
but with very indifferent success. 

‘‘Mr. Staples,” he gasped, rather than uttered, “please 
don’t let me be killed ! I never thought anything so awful 
could happen to me. You know I ’ve never been to Sunday 
school, Mr. Tom, and did n’t know how dreadful wicked I was, 
although if you’ll let me off this time, I ’ll go every Sunday 



The Business House that Jack Built. 109 

and learn as many verses as you want me to. Then think of 
mother — what’ll she do without my wages? Besides, I ain’t 
ready to die — you know yourselves just where I ’ll have to go 
to if I don’t have time to reform and lead a better life. Why 
can’t you give me just one more chance, and if I ever, 
ever steal as much as a pin, I won’t expect nor ask for any 
mercy. I know I ’ve done wrong to all of you, but I ’m only a 
boy — I did n’t know how awful wrong it was, but now that I do 
know, I ’ll never go astray again, and I ’ll do anything and 
everything you want me to do to show you that I ’m in earnest. 
Do believe me, gentlemen, I mean everything I say — and then 
put yourselves in my place, and consider how your mothers 
would feel if — if” — and here poor Dick broke completely 
down, and ended his appeal in heart-rending sobs. 

Tom coughed once or twice, then, under pretense of wiping 
his forehead, wiped his eyes and cleared his throat for further 
announcements. 

“ Members of the Sacred Order of the Red Right Hand,” 
said he, ” ^ou have heard the statement of the prisoner, and 
now if there be any one present who knows aught why, in his 
judgment, the sentence of the order should not be carried out as 
rendered, let him now speak or henceforth and forever maintain 
silence. ’ ’ 

Mr. Noel arose and, saluting Tom, remarked : ” Most Worthy 
Chief, according to the code of our order, the member who has 
most suffered from the acts of the culprit has the right to move a 
mitigation of a sentence to the extent of one degree. I, there- 
fore, in compassion for his widowed mother and with the hope 
that time may work the reform in his nature so much desired, do 
hereby ask for the mitigation of his sentence from death to ban- 
ishment for life.” 

“Be this application recorded,” responded Tom. “The 
members have heard the application for mitigation of sentence. 
Let him who may demur now make his objections known.” 

A pause. 

“ There are no objections to be noted and the sentence will 
be therefore mitigated. Know, then, Richard Silvers, that 
instigated by feelings of compassion, the member of our order 
who has most suffered by your crime moves that your sentence 


no 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


be lessened one degree. The sentence of the order, therefore, is- 
that you be banished from the city where the wickedness and 
wiles of men lead into temptation, and that you take up your 
abode in a secluded home in the country, to be selected by the 
order, and there you are to remain under this condition ; that if 
you escape from the retreat provided for you, or repeat the 
offense which brought upon you this punishment, then the 
original sentence shall be revived, against which no appeal shall 
prevail. Let the sentence be recorded and admit the light of 
Heaven.” 

The curtains were then raised, the glowing skeleton faded, 
and the members proceeded to draw the gloves over their red 
right hands. The trial, so solemn, so awful and terrible to the 
poor criminal, was ended. 

Dick’s transition from despair to joy was so sudden that he 
could hardly realize it. 

‘‘Mr. Staples,” said he, eagerly, ‘‘do you really mean it ? 
Am I to go free ? ’ ’ 

‘‘ The council of the Order of the Red Right Hand always 
means what its edicts proclaim ! ” answered Tom^ gravely. 

” You are not to go free, but your punishment is lessened, that 
is all. You will be sent at once to the country, where you will 
always be watched, although you may not know it ; but woe to 
you, should you again transgress or attempt to escape, for no 
compassion or mercy can then spare you. ’ ’ 

‘‘Oh, Mr. Staples,” answered Dick, gratefully, ‘‘you’ll 
never have any more trouble with me. Send me anywhere you 
want to, and I ’ll do just what I ’m told to do, and never try to 
escape. ’ ’ 

‘‘You will soon be put to test,” answered Tom. “I will 
see your mother this evening, and have the arrangements made 
for your immediate departure.” 

‘‘Will mother go with me,” asked Dick. 

‘‘That I cannot tell as yet. Possibly arrangements can be 
made so that you both cah be lodged under the same roof. You 
are now at liberty, but you will remain about the office as before ; 
but mention to no one, on your peril, the incidents of this meet- 
ing. The Council of the Sacred Order of the Red Right Hand 
stands now adjourned.” 


> 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Ill 


No time was lost in making arrangements for Dick’s banish- 
ment to the country. Tom at once wrote his brother and 
received a prompt reply stating that his home was ready to 
receive both Dick and his mother. Mrs. Silvers was overjoyed 
at the prospect of a pleasant and permanent home in the country, 
and no less astonished at the willingness and even eagerness of 
Dick to get away from the city. She noticed with wonder that 
he had suddenly become a changed boy. He stayed at home 
nights and was studious and thoughtful. His old street com- 
rades hung around the house, but he paid no heed to their sig- 
nals. What could have brought about this great change ? On 
the evening preceding their departure Mrs. Silvers noticed Dick 
watching a young girl who was riding by on a pony. 

“ Do you know that sweet girl, Dick ? ” asked Mrs. Silvers. 

“I’ve seen her a great many times,’’ answered Dick. 
“That ’s Elsie Williamson.’’ 

Mrs. Silvers was a woman with a woman’s heart, and the 
mystery was at once solved. Dick was in love with Elsie ! 




1 12 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXV, 



THE GREAT GLOBE. 

AviNG told the reader nothing about 
Jack’s world lately, it must not be 
inferred that the work on it had 
been .suspended. Jack had added 
something to it nearly every day 
until the great sphere was ready 
for its covering. Bob had not been 
of much assistance, for the reason 
that he was working on an inven- 
tion of his own, which was nothing 
less than an apparatus for generat- 
ing gas, which could be used for 
lighting the house or applied to a 
for cooking. Bob had explained thg 


gas 

whole scheme to Mrs. Hanlon, and that worthy 
lady was looking anxiously forward to the time when the inven- 
tion would be in perfect running order. As she came to the 
table one day, flushed and heated from her work in the kitchen, 
she said to Jack : “ How I long for the time when Bob will have 
his gas machine finished and ready to set to work. No more 
stewing one’s self over hot stoves, no more carrying in of coal, 
no more smoky stoves or chimneys that won’t draw, no more 
ashes to take up, and no more trouble with ovens that won’t 
bake. I have only to turn on the gas and have just as much 
heat as I want and no more. Then think how nice and clean it 
all will be. Dear me ! I don’t see how I have been able to put 
up with a stove all these years.” 

“ But are you sure it will work ? ” asked Jack. 

“O, yes,” answered Mrs. Hanlon, confidently, “Bob has 
figured it all out, and it ’s bound to work — he says so himself.” 

This argument was not wholly convincing to Jack. He 
remembered that Bob had been just as sanguine of success in 



The Business' House that Jack Built. 113 

the many other plans which he had made for achieving great 
results, and every one had died before maturity, many good 
ones, perhaps, which had been starved for want of attention. . 
But Jack stuck to his world. The work of covering it with can- 
vas was a difficult task, but it was finally accomplished, and 



Jack had the pleasure of announcing that his globe was all ready 
to be divided and populated. It was mounted on its axis and 
performed its revolutions beautifully. 

Jack invited Tom Staples and Ned Holman to inspect this 
specimen of his handiwork and skill, and one evening they both 
came and were ushered into the laboratory. They both agreed 
that it was a fine piece of work. 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


114 

“And so, Jack,” said Tom, “you intend that this globe 
shall teach you geography ? ’ ’ 

“Yes, sir, I ’m going to learn just where the places are that 
we have to ship goods to, and how to get to them, and how far 
away they are.” 

“ But you haven’t got the surface of this globe divided up 
yet.” 

“ No, sir, that ’s the next thing I am going to do.” 

“But, now, instead of going to all this trouble in making 
this globe, why couldn’t you have got one already made, with 
all the divisions into countries and states accurately divided off? 
Would n’t that answer your purpose just as well ? ” 

“ No, sir, it wouldn’t, for I have to do a thing myself before 
I can understand it. Why, hang it !” said Jack, vehemently, 
“ I’d as soon a person would chew my meat for me as to tell 
me something I can find out for myself. What fellow with any 
gumption wants a problem ciphered out for him before he has a 
chance to try it himself? ” 

“Jack is right,” observed Ned Holman. “No carpenter 
learns how to build a house by hearing others tell how it should 
be done, and it is just as important that educational truths 
should be worked in as that a trade should be learned by hand- 
ling the tools and doing the work. But, Jack, tell me your pro- 
gram of operations. What are you going to do first ? ’ ’ 

“ First I shall draw off the four great divisions of the earth. 
Of course I shall have to mark off the latitude and longitude. 
Now, for a scale I ’m going to take a tape line, and instead of 
saying that there are so many miles to the inch, I ’ll mark off 
the miles on the tape line. Then supposing I want to know 
how many miles it is from the city of New York to the City of 
Pekin, China, I ’ll just put one end of my line at New York and 
measure off the distance to Pekin, just as I would a piece of 
cloth?” 

‘ ‘ But the location of the places and other facts you will have 
to get from maps and atlases ? ’ ’ 

“ Yes, but when I get it all down on this globe I ’ll know it, 
you bet ! ’ ’ 

“Well,” said Tom, reflectively, “I will admit that this 
seems like a very good way of getting a practical knowledge of 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


115 

geography, but I’m afraid the majority of boys haven’t the 
pluck to go about it in this way ! ” 

“Shucks !” exclaimed Jack, disdainfully, “any boy that’s 
afraid to tackle a job like this, aint got spunk enough to kill a 
sick mouse ! ’’ 



n6 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXVI . 



AN EDUCATlONAIv CONTROVERSY. 

UR HERO was not disappointed in the value of 
his globe as an aid to the study of geog- 
raphy. Instead of a dull, spiritless con- 
ning of dead facts this useful branch of 
education became a delightful source of 
mental exercise. Jack took a great delight 
in marking out the boundaries of some 
new country, traveling the rivers, meas- 
uring the lakes, climbing the mountains and descending the 
valleys. He was not obliged to call on his imagination in locat- 
ing places. He had them all before him where he could see 
their relative positions. Night after night Jack worked on his 
globe, and his zeal in his work increased instead of diminishing. 
Occasionally Bob would spend an evening with him when he 
had no new project of his own to engross his attention. 

It may be necessary to inform the reader that Bob’s gas 
machine had not yet materialized into practical shape, and Mrs. 
Hanlon was still stewing herself over a hot stove, but still firm 
in the faith that Bob would succeed in bringing his machine to 
perfection. Alas, poor Bob ! He couldn’t be “faithful unto a 
few things,” the only sure* way of becoming “ a ruler over 
many.” Boys, if you want to show that you possess the high- 
est kind of courage, the loftiest heroism, you cannot more cer- 
tainly prove it than by finishing everything you undertake, 
which is worthy of doing at all. The ability to do is what wins 
in this world. Finely laid plans, without the ability to execute 
them, are like a fine piece of machinery with no boiler for gener- 
ating the steam to work it. 

“Jack,” observed Tom Staples one day, throwing an apple 
core at Ned Holman, knocking a pencil from its lodging-place 
behind his ear, and then shaking his head and frowning at the 
messenger boy, “ Jack, how is the world by this time ? ” 


J17 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ Bully ! ” answered Jack, in his usual laconic style. 

Jack found it hard to correct himself of his habit of using 
mild slang. He excused himself on the ground that it took less 
time to express himself than when he used ‘ ‘ little gentleman ’ ’ 
language. 

Ned Holman picked up his pencil and coolly sauntering over 
to Tom’s desk, leaned over it carelessly, and commenced 
resharpening the point which had been broken off, taking care 
that the litter should fall where Tom would have the most 
trouble in cleaning it off. Then he tested the point by drawing 
Tom’s portrait on his clean blotting pad, representing him in the 
act of throwing an apple core at somebody, and turning to Jack, 
observed : 

“ I wish. Jack, that our entire educational system could be 
revolutionized, and that for the parrot-like methods now in use 
something with the flavor of common sense could be substituted. 
Now, your method of studying geography by means of your 
large globe is practical. It is learning a thing just as you would 
learn a trade, by making what you want to get a knowledge of. 
It i^ the only true principle of education.” 

“ I disagree with you there,” grunted Tom. 

“ Oh, you do, do you ? ” retorted Ned ; ” then perhaps you ’ll 
be good enough to state the grounds of your objection.” 

‘‘ My idea of education,” said Tom, “is not a mere cram- 
ming of the mind with facts. It is a mental discipline — a 
strengthening of the mind by judicious exercise. Because a man 
is learned and knows all creation and a little more, in his own 
opinion, is no indication that his mind has become fitted for use- 
ful, practical work.” 

“ Well, I do n’t dispute that,” answered Ned. 

” Yes, you do,” said Tom. ‘‘Your plan of learning simply 
how to do things is only a scheme for getting a knowledge of 
facts. You want the practical plan, as you call it, adopted 
because it is easy on the mind. But that isn’t what the mind 
wants. It needs something more severe to bring out and develop 
its strength. Hard labor is what strengthens the muscles and 
hardens the bones, and not play.” 

‘‘According to that reasoning, then, the less practical you 
can make your course of study the better it will be for the 


ii8 The Business House that Jack Built. 

mind. In other words, you have got to abuse and worry it 
before you can benefit it. All nonsense ! The mind gains its 
strength just as the body does. Don’t you know that a person 
can do twice as much work of the kind that he likes to do as of 
that which is distasteful and unpleasant to. him? Won’t boys 
play hard all day and not feel half so tired as they would in a 
half day’s work in the corn field? And don’t their limbs get 
more strength and their bodies get a better development when 
they are given the freedom of the fields than when they are tied 
down to hard work? I tell you a person is getting precious 
little benefit in any way if he does n’t enjoy what he is doing. 
Trouble and worry mean friction, and friction means wear. If 
you want to wear out the mind load it down with trouble.” 

” But doesn’t a hard task call out more of the forces of the 
mind than one which requires no particular effort to master ? ’ ’ 

‘‘Not necessarily, for on some agreeable work all the forces 
of the mind will be called into activity, and the person himself 
will be almost unconscious of it. There is the activity, the 
motion, but not the friction. Don’t you suppose, now, that 
Jack’s mind has been quite as active in the arrangement of his 
globe as when he tried to drum into his mind by' constant repe- 
tition the fact that Pekin was the capital of China ? ” 

‘‘ He has crammed more facts into his mind, I ’ll admit. We 
sometimes cram geese by forcing food down their throats. They 
get so fat they can’t waddle, just as these walking encyclopedias 
are so full of knowledge that the active powers of their mind are 
suffocated, and they can’t make any practical use of what knowl- 
edge they have got. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ And what does all this prove ? The geese are crammed 
against their will, just as your hum-drum lessons are crammed 
into the unwilling scholar’s mind. Leave the geese to eat what 
they want and will relish, and no more, and you will not have 
an abnormal bulk of fat. Feed the mind with the nutrition it 
hungers for, instead of giving it disagreeable doses, and it will 
strengthen and develop, and its condition will be a healthy one. 
Your indiscriminate process of cramming all minds alike as if 
they were so many machines, losing sight altogether of the dis- 
tinct individuality of mental organizations is a great mistake, to 
use a mild term, and, mark my words, there is going to be a 


I Fie Business House that Jack Built. 119 

great change in the educational methods before the next centen- 
nial.” 

“About this time,” observed Tom, in the tone of voice he 
used when he wished to be particularly exasperating, “look out 
for great disturbances, for the great Professor Holman has so 
ordained it.” 

Ned reddened, and sounded back his blast of defiance : 
“ That ’s it, ridicule what you can’t answer ! I ’d as soon argue 
with a wooden Indian as with a man who won’t listen to a little 
common sense.” 

“ Try me with some and see if I won’t,” retorted Tom. 

“ Better get some one to cram a little sense into you,” sug- 
gested Ned. 

“Thank you,” said Tom. “I couldn’t trouble you, how- 
ever, for you have n’t any to spare.” 

“Humph!” grunted Ned, as he turned indignantly to his 
desk, and commenced a furious onslaught on his work. 



120 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXVII. 



A. mysterious document. 

Tack,” observed Tom, next morning, 
“you mustn’t mind what I said yes- 
terday. I like to plague Ned once in a 
while. I think it does him good to draw 
him out. Ned is a fine fellow. Jack, and 
I can whip the man who says he is n’t. 
His ideas are good and sensible, too. 
Now yesterday his remarks on practical 
education were right to the point, and I 
tell you what he said did him great credit.” 

“ But you disagreed with him yesterday,” observed Jack. 

“Of course I did,” assented Tom. “Bless you, that ’s the 
way you can draw Ned Holman out. He ’s a perfect mine, that 
man is, but you have got to dig for the ore. It does n’t crop out 
on the surface.” 

During the day Jack happened to be alone with Ned, and 
this is what this individual had to say about his antagonist : 

“ Jack, I hope you won’t be misled by any of the statements 
I made yesterday when Tom and I were discussing. The fact is 
I was a little warm and excited. Now Tom can always keep 
clear-headed and cool, and that ’s where he has the advantage. 
Tom is a capital fellow. Jack. Just as straight as a string — 
and I ’d like to see the man who says he is not ! He has a* 
splendid head — full of practical ideas — and I’d rather trust 
his clear, practical, good judgment than that of any one I know. 
I tell you this house couldn’t get along without Tom Staples.” 

“ But why do you and Tom disagree so ? ” asked Jack. 

“ Well, in order to draw Tom out, somebody has got to dis- 
agree with him. He won’t often volunteer his opinion unless 
somebody steps on his toes. His ideas regarding education are 
good, and they are sensible. He believes that nothing is gained 
without labor, and that the mind must be exercised in order to 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


i2r 


be improved. When you want good advice, Jack, just hunt up 
Tom Staples. He ’s a good one to tie to, and don’t you forget 
it!” 

Half an hour afterward Tom and Ned had exchanged cigars 
and were enjoying a very pleasant chat together. The sunshine 
seemed so much brighter after the little storm. 

“ A letter for you. Jack,” said Mr. Williamson, entering the 
office and placing the missive on Jack’s desk. 

The superscription was in his father’s handwriting, and as 
news from home was always welcome. Jack immediately opened 
the letter. As he did so a slip of paper in the letter caught his 
eye. Curiosity prompted him to read this first, and this was the 
very singular message it contained : 

, , 1S9 

Dear Father : Please pay the bearer fifty dollars for me, and much 
oblige your son. Jack Wharton. 

This singular document amazed Jack, and he could n’t under- 
stand the meaning of it. The body of the message was not in 
his handwriting, but the signature was his own — no doubt 
about that, and yet he had never signed such a paper as this. 
He turned eagerly to his father’s letter for light. It read as 
follows : 

, , 189 

My Dear Son : 

I return you your order on me stamped paid. I confess I am a little 
surprised that you found it necessary to draw on me for any money, as I 
thought I had provided you with enough to supply all your reasonable 
wants. Neither do I understand why you did not write to me stating how 
this indebtedness was incurred. I do n’t wish to be unduly severe with you, 
Jack, but you are now learning how to do business properly, and this little 
transaction is one of the wrong ways. I shall deduct this fifty dollars from 
your regular allowance unless you can show me to my entire satisfaction 
that this expenditure was absolutely necessary. 

Your mother and uncle Ben unite in sending love to you ; and hoping 
you are sustaining the good record you established for yourself at the starts 
I remain your affectionate father, Edward Wharton. 

The letter did not solve the mystery. On the contrary it 
only added to his perplexity. It was quite evident that Jack’s 
father had paid fifty dollars to some one on what appeared to be 
his order, and yet Jack had had no fifty dollar dealings with any 


122 


The Busintss House that Jack Built. 


one, and never thought of drawing on his father for funds. Of 
course the whole thing was a forgery. But no, the signature. 
Jack Wharton, was certainly his own, although he was quite 
positive that he never signed a document of any kind for any 
one. Turning to Tom Staples he handed him the letter and 
enclosure, and remarked : 

“Tom, I wish you would read this letter and tell me what it 
all means'. I can’t make head nor tail of it.’’ 

Tom took the letter and read it carefully, and then examined 
the document. 

“ Why, Jack,” he observed, “I see nothing mysterious about 
this letter. You have drawn on your father for fifty dollars and 
he has paid the draft and returned it to you — that is all.” 

“ But I never drew on him for fifty dollars ! ” said Jack. 

“This document, however, says that you have, and it’s 
pretty hard to rebut written evidence by oral testimony. The 
body of the order is not in your handwriting, but is n’t the sig- 
. nature yours ? ” 

“ Yes, the signature must be mine, but I vow and declare I 
never saw this paper before. I never had a fifty dollar transac- 
tion with anybody. Besides, I have n’t needed any money, and 
have n’t got in debt to anyone. So why should I give such an 
order as this ? Plague take it, this signature must be a forgery.” 

‘ ‘ Tom took up the paper and examined it carefully and 
critically. 

“ If this is a forgery,” said he, “ it ’s the most skillful one I 
ever encountered. But let us get the opinion of Ned. He ’s an 
expert at this business. And here he comes now. Ned, won’t 
you have the kindness to examine this little document and tell 
us what you think of it ? ” 

Ned read the order carefully and remarked : “I see nothing 
extraordinary about this. Jack has drawn an order on his 
father for fifty dollars. The form, perhaps, might be improved, 
but otherwise it ’s all right.” 

“ But Jack says the signature is a forgery.” 

Ned examined the paper again and shook his head. 

“If it ’s a forgery, it ’s a very clever one. But we can soon 
settle that. Jack, write your name in your ordinary manner, 
several times, on a sheet of paper.” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


23 


Jack did as requested, and Ned went to his desk and took 
from a drawer a magnifying glass. With this he carefully noted 
each signature. 

“There can’t be one chance in a million,’’ said he, “ of this 
being a forgery. Took for yourselves and you will find that the 
one on the order contains all the peculiarities and characteristics 
of the others, and everything, too, denotes a perfect freedom of 
the hand. If a person could be found who wrote exactly the 
same hand that you do, this might be his work, but I ’ll wager 
my head this signature is not a studied effort.’’ 

“Then, how the plague could it ever have got there 
asked Jack. 

“I might answer like Topsy, ‘I ’spect it growed ! ’ But, 
Jack, I think I can account for this. You have learned an 
important lesson in your business education, and it has cost yon 
just fifty dollars.” 



124 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXVIII. 

A BUSINESS UESSON. 

ED Holman turned to his desk and resumed 
work, and Jack was still in the dark regard- 
ing that mysterious order. In a mechani- 
cal manner he picked up a piece of paper 
and commenced writing on it. Then he 
dropped the paper in the waste-basket, and 
remembering that he had an errand to the 
postoffice, put on his hat and left the office. 
For once Jack’s mind was not on his work. 
He could not help thinking about that 
mysterious order, and he felt that he now 
had a problem which would baffie his best 
efforts to solve. 

On his return to the office he resumed 
his work, but he had hardly got fairly 
started before Tom Staples approached him, 
remarking : 

“Jack, my boy, I’m afraid this little affair of yours has 
driven the fact out of your head that the little forty-dollar note 
I hold against you falls due to-day.” 

Jack started and opened his eyes in amazement. 

“ Forty-dollar note ! What on earth do you mean, Tom?” 

“Only this,” answered Tom, coolly. “This little piece of 
paper reads in this wise : ‘ Thirty days after date I promise to 

pay to the order of Henry Hammond forty dollars for value 
received. Signed, Jack Wharton.’ ” 

“ Let ’s see it,” said Jack, eagerly. 

Tom handed him the note. 

It was not written by Jack, but the signature was his, 
undoubtedly. 

“Why, confound it all!” exclaimed Jack, in great per- 
plexity, ‘ ‘ what does it all mean ? I never gave Henry Ham- 
mond a note. In fact, I don’t know such a fellow.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 125 

“All the same,” returned Tom, coolly, “he had your 
promissory note for forty dollars, which he endorsed over to me 
before maturity. If you have been swindled again, I am sorry 
for it. Jack, but still I can’t afford to lose this amount. You 
couldn’t expect it of me.’’ 

“ Good gracious, Tom, do you expect me to pay this note ? ’’ 

“I expect. Jack, that you will do just what you have 
promised to do on this paper.’’ 

“ But this is a forgery,’’ persisted Jack. 

“ Look at the signature again, my boy, and you won’t be 
quite so confident.’’ 

Jack scrutinized it again. “ Plague take it all ! ’’ said he, in 
great perplexity, “it is my signature, but how in time did it 
ever get on such a document as this ? ” 

At this moment Mr. Noel entered. 

Approaching JacJi, he observed : “I paid this sixty -dollar 
draft you made on me. Jack. It overdraws your account a little, 
but that does n’t matter.’’ 

Jack actually bounded off his stool, when this third shot 
struck him. Matters were becoming very serious. 

“ Mr. Noel ! ’’ he began, “ you do n’t mean to say that — let 
me see the paper, please ? ’’ 

Mr. Noel handed it to him, and this was the message it con- 
tained : 

Mr. Noei< : Please pay Leonard Harvey, or bearer, sixty dollars, and 
charge the same to my account. (Signed) Jack Wharton. 

“ I hesitated a little about paying it,’’ said Mr. Noel. “The 
order itself is not in your handwriting, but I knew I could 
not be mistaken in the signature. You were out when the order 
came in, and the party presenting it was in a hurry.’’ 

“But this draft is a forgery,’’ said Jack. “I don’t know 
any Leonard Harvey — never saw the fellow — but if I could 
catch him I ’d punch his head, you bet ! ” 

Jack was becoming excited. 

“ Coolly, my boy,’’ said Mr. Noel. “ Never go back on your 
signature. It would be a very hard matter to persuade any one 
acquainted at all with your handwriting that this signature is 
not yours. Perhaps you did not realize what you were signing 


126 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


when this document was presented to you, but if you have been 
imposed upon it is no reason why I should pay the penalty.” 

“Yes, but hang it!” exclaimed Jack, “what can if all 
mean ? This is the third paper of this kind that ’s been sprung 
on me to-day. Let ’s see — fifty, forty, sixty — one hundred and 
fifty dollars in paper that my name ’s signed to, and I never 
gave a note or an order to any one in my life.” 

And the worst was was not yet over. Mr. Williamson just 
then entered the room and looked keenly and gravely at Jack. 

“ Wonder if he hasn’t got something with my name signed 
to it,” thought Jack. 

Mr. Williamson looked troubled. He sighed, shook his head^ 
and then opening a paper he held in his hand, observed : 

“ I have something very serious to say to you. Jack, and as 
the office force are nearly all present it will perhaps be better 
that they should be made acquainted with the whole fadts of the 
case, lest distorted rumors should reach them, which might do 
you a more serious injustice.” 

Mr. Williamson then adjusted his glasses, and holding up the 
paper continued : ‘ ‘ This little note came into my possession by 

a manner in which I am not now at liberty to make known. It 
was through the instrumentality of a friend of yours. Jack, who 
has your welfare at heart, and earnestly desires to check you in 
time in a career which, if followed, will certainly end in ruin. 
But this note tells the story. 1 will read it : 

Dear Fred : I have raised by hook and crook one hundred and fifty 
dollars, and I will meet you next Thursday night and finish up that little 
game of poker. My friend, Jimmy Mace, who is writing this at my dicta- 
tion, will be with me to join in and help make the game interesting. 

Yours truly, Jack Wharton. 

If Jack felt surprised before what were his feelings now ? 
The drafts and notes were disagreeable enough, but this com- 
munication read by Mr. Williamson meant ruin and disgrace. 
Moreover, it lent color to the other transactions, for it had 
alluded to the fact that he had raised one hundred and fifty dol- 
lars, just the amount of the notes and drafts, “ by hook and 
crook.” How would his simple word of denial weigh against 
this accumulation of evidence ? 


The Business House that Jack Built, 


127 


“Jack,” said Mr. Williamson, kindly and gravely, “it is 
unnecessary for me to tell you that I have felt a deep interest in 
your welfare. I have watched your course thus far with pride, 
and until this moment no act of yours has given me cause for a 
word of censure. I thought I discovered in you qualities which 
warranted the conviction that you would some day fill an emi- 
nent position in this or some other commercial house. I still 
hope that this sad mistake is but the result of a boyish impulse, 
and that you do not realize the serious nature of it, or the evil 
consequences that will most surely follow if persisted in. 

“ But, Mr. Williamson,” cried Jack “ this whole thing is a 
mistake. I solemnly declare, upon my sacred honor, that I 
never before saw the paper you have just read to me.” 

“But isn’t this your signature?” asked Mr. Williamson, 
handing the paper to him. 

“ Ye-es,” replied Jack. “At least if it isn’t mine, it’s so 
plaguey like it that I can’t tell the difference.” 

“Then how do you account for it being on this paper ? ” 

“I acccount for it, and that’s what bothers me. This 
is the fourth time to-day that my signature has been shown me 
under documents that I never in my life saw before. Has any 
one seen me drunk lately, or have I been seen walking in my 
sleep or lost my head entirely ? ” 

Poor Jack was becoming quite bewildered. 

“ You say this is the fourth time to-day in which documents 
bearing your signature have been presented to you ? ” asked Mr. 
Williamson. 

‘ ‘ Yes, here is one which is a draft on pa for fifty dollars ; 
Tom Staples has a note signed by me for forty dollars ; Mr. Noel 
has my order on him for sixty dollars ; and now comes this letter 
of yours, which is worse than all put together.” 

“ Tet me see these different documents,” said Mr. William- 
son. 

They were handed to him and he examined them closely and 
carefully. Shaking his head gravely, he observed : 

“Jack, this is a bad, a very bad, business. These documents 
are all written by different persons, and what is worse, this last 
message seems to afford an explanation of the three that pre- 
ceded it. I should be glad. Jack, if you could satisfy us of your 


128 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


entire innocence of complicity in these transactions, but here are 
ugly facts to disprove. Now let me suggest that a confession of 
guilt is the most manly way of expiating a fault. You are 
young, and this first fault can be overlooked. Confess all bravely ; 
resolve that this first indiscretion shall be your last, and I pledge 
you my word that you wdll share my confidence as fully in the 
future as you did in the past.” 



“But I won’t confess anything of the kind!” exclaimed 
Jack, excitedly. “ I ’ll stick to it to my dying day that I never 
saw any of these papers before — never ! And you may tear my 
limbs all to pieces and grind me up in a grist mill before I’ll 
acknowledge doing what I never did and never thought of 
doing I ” 

Jack paced the room, and stopping before the window, 
resumed : ‘ ‘ There is a plot against me — there must be I And 


129 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

now here comes Miss Elsie. I presume she has got a letter 
signed by me asking her to run away with me ? If she has, of 
course I ’ll have to acknowledge it. O, certainly ! ” 

If Jack could have seen Mr. Williamson at that moment, 
he would have discovered him holding his sides and making des- 
perate efforts to keep his face straight. Tom Staples was very 
solemnly shaking his fist at Ned Holman, who had dared to look 
over his way and indulge his features in just a perceptible wink. 

Elsie just then entered, but stopped short on finding herself 
in so grave an assembly. She soon found her tongue, however, 
and turning to her father, observed : 

“ Goodness, pa ! You must be all making arrangements for 
your own funerals. You are looking so very solemn.” 

” Elsie,” said Mr. Williamson, ” sit down. Your friend Jack 
once did you a kind and valuable service. You have wanted 
some occasion for showing your gratitude. The opportunity is 
now afforded you. There is evidence here that Jack has been 
guilty of a great wrong. He has been raising money in very 
questionable ways to waste at the gaming table. In spite of the 
fact that he admits that the signatures to the documents which 
prove his guilt are his own, he stubbornly refuses to confess his 
fault, and insists that he is innocent. Now, if you have any 
influence over him, Elsie, beseech him, for his own good, to 
make a clean breast of it and confess all. If he does he will be 
freely forgiven, and treated exactly as if these things had never 
occurred.” 

Elsie’s face became grave in an instant. Approaching Jack 
she looked at him beseechingly, and asked the simple question : 
” Did you. Jack ? ” 

“Miss Elsie,” said Jack, ” I would be sorry to have you 
think that I would do the mean, contemptible things they accuse 
me of doing, but I would be sorrier still to have you think that 
I lied about them. No, Miss Elsie, I never, never saw those 
papers before. I ’m as innocent of what I am charged with as 
you are, and I can’t say anything different if I were to lose my 
life for it, or — or — your friendship ! ” 

‘‘I believe you. Jack,” exclaimed Elsie, warmly. ‘‘I don’t 
care what their horrid old papers prove. You are innocent. Jack* 
and I know it ! 


130 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Jack had stood up bravely and defended himself stubbornly 
when these grave charges were preferred ; but Elsie’s touching 
earnestness conquered him. He dropped into a chair and burst 
into tears. It was the signal for the closing of this little comedy 
of errors, for Mr. Williamson stepped up to Jack, and clapping 
him on the shoulder, exclaimed : “Jack, you are a brave boy ! 
And as to these charges, we are all ready to render a verdict of 
not guilty ! ” 

Jack wiped his eyes and looked up. 



ELSIE’S FACE BECAME GRAVE. 


“The fact is,” resumed Mr. Williamson, “that this whole 
matter is a practical joke, but one calculated to make an impres- 
sion on your mind and do you good. I noticed some time ago 
a habit you had of writing your name on pieces of paper, merely 
as a matter of exercise, I suppose. It is a dangerous habit to 
fall into, and I wanted to convince you of it. A number of 
pieces of paper on which you had written your name were 


The Business House that Jack Built. 13 1 

gathered from the waste-basket, and I had different persons who 
were let into the secret write the different documents which have 
given you so much trouble, and which have been produced 
to-day. ‘ Be careful of your good name,’ applies with as much 
force to business as to morals. There are many men who indulge 
themselves in this loose business habit of writing their names on 
blank pieces of paper, which may afterwards be converted into 
any kind of a business document and held against them.” 

” But would a man have to pay a note if he could prove that 
he never intended his name to be signed in that way?” asked 
Jack. 

‘‘ If the person who made out the note over your signature 
presented it himself for payment, and you could prove the fact 
that you received no consideration for such a note, you would 
not have it to pay ; but if the note were transferred, before it 
became due, to an innocent holder, you would certainly have to 
pay, no matter what fraud you could prove against the person in 
whose name it was made.” 

“ Then the next time I write my name I ’ll know what I am 
signing it for, you bet ! ” exclaimed Jack 

“Avery good resolution. Jack, which I hope the lesson of 
the morning has pretty thoroughly impressed upon your mind. 
But come, Elsie, let ’sbe going. Good morning, boys.” 

Jack waited until Mr. Williamson and Elsie had left the 
room, and then bounded from his chair and turned several hand- 
springs, to the imminent danger of the office furniture. He was 
brought to his senses by a sharp slap from Tom Staples’ ruler, 
after which he gradually brought his mind down to the business 
of the day. 

The matter was discussed at the dinner table at Mrs. Han- 
lon’s, and comments were freely made. 

Speaking of Elsie’s part in the affair, Jack remarked : 

‘ ‘ Miss Elsie is a lively, boyish sort of a girl, but I — I — 
kinder like her ! ’ ’ 

Bob blushed slightly, and thoughtfully rubbed the bridge of 
his nose. 



132 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXIX. 

FI,INT AND STEED AGAIN. 

H, Jack,” observed Ned Holman 
the next morning, ‘ ‘ I hope 
the little incidents of yester- 
day didn’t disturb your rest 
last night.” 

” No,” responded Jack, ” I 
slept as sound as a nut when I 
finally got to sleep. But I 
must admit that I did some 
pretty hard thinking for awhile 
before I finally dropped off. ’ ’ 
“Ah! what might have 
been the nature of your 
thoughts ? ’ ’ 

” Well, for one thing, I was wondering whether everything I 
learn about business has got to be pounded into my head by 
hard knocks like those I got yesterday. I ’ve heard a good 
many times that experience is a good teacher, but cracky ! she 
gives us some awful thumps in giving us our lessons and do n’t 
seem to show any mercy.” 

” Yes,” assented Ned, ” experience is a hard teacher, and I 
suppose every person must to a greater or less extent be under 
her tuition. And yet many of the hard lessons of experience, 
which, besides being severe are very expensive, might be avoided 
by a more liberal use of the educational facilities with which we 
are so amply provided.” 

“Seems to me, then,” observed Jack, “that my education 
hasn’t been of much account to me, for it hasn’t helped me 
much in my work in the office. Why, I couldn’t even add nor 
write when I came here, and every day shows me what a little 
ignoramus I am in matters of business.” 




The Business House that Jack Built. 133 

“Well, of course our common schools do not make a 
specialty of what may be called the business branches of an 
education. That is the particular province of the business 
college.” 

“ Then,” said Jack, as if struck with a new idea, “ I believe 
I ’d like to go to a business college.” 

“ It would certainly be a good thing for you to do,” assented 
Ned. ‘ ‘ I have always regretted not having attended one myself. ’ ’ 

Just here Tom Staples stopped to sharpen a lead pencil and 
just as the point broke off, he looked up and remarked : “I 
don’t take much stock in business colleges.” 

“ Did you ever attend one ? ” inquired Ned. 

“No, I never did, because I never had any faith in their 
methods or in the results they claimed to be able to produce.” 

“Ah!” said Ned. warming up slightly, as if he scented 
trouble ahead, “perhaps you will be good enough to tell us 
wherein the methods of the business college are faulty.” 

“They are faulty,” answered Tom, “because they do not 
and cannot teach business as it is. It is absurd to suppose that 
in the course of a few months a student can get the experience 
of a lifetime in business.” 

“ I was not aware that business colleges , ever made any such 
claims. They do propose to teach correct theories and principles 
on which business transactions are based, and they further illus- 
trate the application of these principles by a system of business 
practice, which comes as near to actual transactions as can be 
produced in a school room.” 

“Yes,” grunted Tom, “and this imaginary business gives 
the students false notions of real business, and I ’d rather take a 
boy without any knowledge at all of business than one with a 
lot of rubbish in his head that would have to be cleared out 
before anything valuable could be put in its place.” 

“ Then, I suppose,” retorted Ned, “ that you would n’t have 
a doctor take a preliminary medical course, but would have him 
commence his education and get his knowledge by slashing 
away at human victims. You would burn up all books that 
elucidate science, theory and principle, and instead of teaching 
a boy to learn to do a thing properly and then do it, you would 
have him do the thing first, and by his experience learn how he 


134 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


has done it. That plan may do for China, where they do every- 
thing backwards, but it will hardly do for this progressive part 
of the world.” , 

”0, well,” answered Tom, “if a business education is so 
valuable, why don’t business men insist that every employe 
they take into their office should be a graduate of a business 
college ? ’ ’ 

” Because many of our business men are unacquainted with 
the real work of the business college. Then again there are 
many little details of a business that must necessarily be learned 
in that business, and so they take boys and have them grow up 
in the business, just as Jack has commenced with us and is 
growing and learning. But let me tell you Jack’s progress 
would be much more rapid and he would have a more thorough 
understanding of the business if he had the assistance of a good, 
practical business education. You know that yourself, Tom 
Staples, I don’t care what old fogy notions you may profess 
and maintain ! ” 

“Better hire a hall,” coolly suggested Tom, returning to his 
work, “ and tell the great business world how its methods may 
be revolutionized by taking for its model the business college, 
where the gospel of business is taught in its purity.” 

Ned’s face flushed and his eyes flashed fire as he retorted : 

“ Yes, of course, when you can’t argue you can grunt ! All 
the same if you ’d sense or discernment enough to have taken a 
business course before you entered this office you might have 
been higher up and more valuable than you are now ! ” 

“ Humph ! ” responded Tom, and then all was silent save the 
sound of Ned’s dashing pen. 



The Businei,s House that Jack Built. 


135 


Chapter XXX. 

ABSOI^UTELY DECIDED. 



[he discussion between Ned Holman and 
Tom Staples, narrated in the preceding 
chapter did not settle anything in 
Jack’s mind except the determination 
to investigate the matter a little 
further, and get if possible a conserva- 
tive view on the subject from someone 
not so radical as Ned or Tom. Of 
course the whole affair was reviewed at 
the supper table that night. 

“Ned is quite right,’’ observed Bob, “in extolling the 
merits of a goodjDUsiness education. I attended a business col- 
lege myself for a time, and some day intend to resume the 
course and finish it. I did not give much time to the purely 
business branches, for I get interested in ornamentak penman- 
ship and had one time quite a notion of putting myself in train- 
ing for a pen artist. Still, I saw enough of the work done at 
the school to know that it was valuable and practical. Even 
during the short term that I attended I picked up valuable 
information that has been a great help to me in the office.’’ 

When Jack entered the office he found Ned and Tom chat- 
ting and laughing, their friendship evidentlj^ being in no wise 
impaired by the clash of minds which the previous day wit- 
nessed. 

“Jack,” observed Tom, “I was just telling Ned that the 
success we all admit you are going to achieve may be in no 
slight degree attributed to the excellent advice he has given you 
whenever the opportunity offered itself. The best of it is that 
that advice is nothing of the sentimental, namby-pamby sort, 
but something absolutely sound and practical.” 

“To which I will offer as an amendment,” laughed Ned, 
“ the very excellent common sense counsel, of which Tom 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


136 

Staples keeps so abundant a stock, will be sure to leave its 
valuable impress on your character.” 

” I am sure I am much obliged to both of you,” answered 
Jack, “for the interest you take in me, for I’ve lived long 
enough to know that if a fellow wants to get along he has got to 
have friends. But — but — supposing now that you don’t just 
exactly agree ’ ’ 

“ But we do, my boy, in all essentials,” interrupted Tom. 
“For instance, yesterday Ned demonstrated very clearly that 
business is a science rather than an art ; that it is governed by 
fixed principles which may be profitably studied, and that a 
good business education will qualify a person to do the right 
thing in the right way and avoid wrong things and erroneous 
methods.” 

“All of which,” assented Ned, “was very properly qualified 
by Tom’s observation that there were incorrect and faulty 
methods in education as well as in everything else, and that one 
should be careful not to learn that which, when put to the test of 
actual business, he would have to unlearn.” 

“ Then,” said Jack, “you would advise me to take a course 
in some good business college I ’ ’ 

“ Most certainly,” was the joint answer most heartily given. 

Still Jack could not but regard this as a kind of compromise 
verdict, and now that his mind was on this subject he determined 
that it should be definitely settled. A sudden impulse, which he 
would have resisted had he stopped to reflect, impelled him to go 
to Mr. Williamson and lay the matter before him. Fortunately 
he found him just as he was laying down the morning paper and 
about to commence the work of the day — for Mr. Williamson 
made it a point not to rush into business details immediately 
after breakfast, but to allow time for the assimilation of his food 
and thus get both body and mind in proper equilibrium. 

He looked up with a smile as Jack entered, and his quick eye 
noticing that some mighty matter was on our young hero’s 
mind, observed : 

“Well, Jack, any more new problems to solve or mysteries to 
probe ? ” 

“Yes, sir,” answered Jack, “I wanted your advice about a 
little matter — that is if you have the time for it now.” 


137 


The Business Hoiise that Jack Built. 

“ I ’ll take the time, my boy ; so trot out the difficulty.” 

“Well, sir, it is just this : My experience in this office has 
shown me that I must be dreadfully ignorant in business matters, 
and I have thought that maybe I would n’t have as much trouble 
if I had the right kind of an education. So I ’ve been wonder- 
ing whether a course of study at a good business college would 
not be a great help to me.” 

“I can answer that question without much reflection. Jack 
— it would. I am aware that there has been and is yet some 
prejudice among business men against this class of schools, but 
I have taken pains to satisfy myself regarding the work the 
best business colleges are doing, and so speak understandingly. 
In order to get the best evidence on this point, I visited one of 
these schools recently, going through every department and 
inspecting the work of the students. It was a revelation to me, 
for I had only an imperfect idea of the way these schools were 
conducted. For instance, in what was called the theory depart- 
ment the principles of accounts were being unfolded and made 
clear by blackboard illustrations and demonstrations. In the 
arithmetic section the students were drilled in rapid calculations 
and were required to work out — not arithmetical puzzles, but 
plain every-day work in percentage, discount, interest, averaging 
accounts, etc. In the commercial law department the principles 
of law governing business transactions were being unfolded, and 
I am quite sure that if when young I had had the advantages of 
this department alone it would have saved me hundreds, perhaps 
thousands, of dollars while I have been in business. In the busi- 
ness practice department I found the students applying what 
they had learned, by going through business transactions which 
to all intents and purposes were as real to them as our transac- 
tions are to us. They bought, sold, kept bank accounts, negotiated 
notes and went through successfully and unsuccessfully all 
phases of business. It was not all smooth sailing in their 
imaginary dealings, for all sorts of emergencies were created in 
order to show them how to meet them in the great business 
world. In the shorthand and typewriting department I noticed 
young men dictating correspondence to amanuenses, which were 
duly transcribed in proper form by means of the typewriter. I 
determined right then that Elsie should take a business course, 


138 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


not that I expect she will ever act as an amanuensis, but because 
I think every woman should have a thorough knowledge of 
business. If Elsie were to-day qualified to act as my amanuensis 
she would soon have the ins and outs of this business at her 
fingers’ ends merely in taking my correspondence. Yes, Jack, I 
certainly advise you to take a business course — say in about 
a year from now. You will then have your mind settled down 
to an appreciation of what is required in business life, and I 
am quite sure you will do good work and be a credit to the 
school that graduates you.” 

“ That settles it,” responded Jack, very decidedly. “ I ’ll 
work here a year longer, if you don’t fire me, and then I ’ll go 
to a number one business college. But I hope you ’ll keep my 
place for me, Mr. Williamson.” 

“ I may not be able to do that for you,” answered Mr. Wil- 
liamson, laughing, “ but I ’ll promise you that if you don’t fill 
the same place it will be because you will be invited to fill a bet- 
ter one.” 

“ Cracky ! that ’s bully ! ” responded Jack, his boyish impul- 
ses getting the better of him, as usual. “ I mean, Mr. William- 
son, I thank 3’ou ever so much for your kindness.” 

Then, as he dashed out of the room, he turned three consecu- 
tive hands-prings, almost colliding with Elsie Williamson who 
just then entered the office. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


139 


Chapter XXXL 



AFTER TEN YEARS. 

E must pass over a period of ten years in 
Jack’s history, and leave to the reader’s 
imagination the incidents and adventures 
of our hero’s career. Great changes 
take place in ten years, and the great 
commercial house of John Williamson 
was no exception to the general rule ? Jack 
had carried out his determination to acquire a good, 
practical business education by attending a first-class business 
college, which sent out its best advertisements in the shape of 
well-trained young men and women who are and always will be 
in demand so long as business is transacted and death makes 
vacancies that must be filled. Jack was a thorough, industrious 
and faithful student. He was not in as much hurry to get 
through the course and possess the coveted ‘ ‘ sheepskin ’ ’ as 
some, but he was very particular to understand thoroughly every 
step he went over, and as a result he came out with flying colors 
and passed with a grade of one hundred the final close examina- 
tion. 

Mr. Williamson was as good as his word and had made a place 
for him in the office, and from that position Jack had won his way 
step by step and was now the confidential clerk of the proprietor. 
Mr. Williamson was becoming old and feeble, but he could not 
give up the business. He still directed its affairs, but he was 
not ashamed to counsel with Jack, and made him his confidante 
in everything that pertained to his business affairs. Mr. Wil- 
liamson had never had a partner. He claimed that while he 
had such faithful allies as Jack and Mr. Noel it was impossible 
for his interests to be watched more closely than they were. 

Tom Staples occupied the identical desk that he did ten years 
ago. He was the same cool, imperturbable, exasperating scamp 
as of yore, and just as regularly got into disputes with his asso- 


140 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


ciates which ended in quarrels and were healed the next day to 
the perfect satisfaction of all parties. 

Tom would n’t budge a niche higher. He did n’t want any- 
thing better, he said. He had the billing all at his fingers’ ends. 
He was quite certain that he was a good bill clerk. He was not 
quite certain that he would succeed at anything else. Better let 
well enough alone. This was Tom’s philosophy, and he went 
through the world in his jog-trot way and thoroughly enjoyed 
life. 

Ned Holman still had charge of the shipping, and was the 
same creature of moods as when we first knew him. Ned could 
do good and efficient work when there was a strong force behind 
him, but put him in a position where he would be compelled to 
direct his own affairs and he would be like an engine without a 
governor. Under the inspiration of encouragement he would 
steam ahead at high pressure until he encountered some obstruc- 
tion, and then the fires would go out until the torch of kind 
words rekindled them. Ned had but a poor opinion of himself, 
and for fear that he would prove a miserable failure if he 
attempted to do anything else but ship goods, he checked what- 
ever ambition he might have had for a higher position. 

Bob Hanlon — what of him ? For answer let us visit the old 
laboratory again. The same evidence of unfinished plans con- 
fronts us. During the ten years that have passed their number 
has increased, but nothing is finished — nothing is more than a 
mere study. Jack still boards with Mrs. Hanlon. The old lady 
has still the same childish faith in Bob, and feels confident that 
he will one day win fame and fortune. 

“ Bob,” said Jack, looking up from his paper and discovering 
his companion in a brown study, “a penny for your thoughts.” 

” I never had any worth that much,” answered Bob, moodily. 

“O, come now. Bob,” replied Jack, “you’ve got your blue 
glasses on again to-night.” 

“ No, Jack, not blue glasses, but glasses which show things 
just as they are, without either magnifying or concealing. I 
am looking at myself to-night. I am looking over my past life 
and trying to find something on which to base any encourage- 
ment for the future.” 

“ But what is it that troubles you. Bob ? ” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 14 1 

“ There is no immediate trouble. I have resolved to look 
Bob Hanlon squarely in the face and tell him what I think of 
him. For twelve years past I have been cultivating weeds and 
trying to fool myself with the idea that some time or other I 
should reap from them a harvest of wheat. Now the spring- 
time of my life is gone* and the harvest of the weeds is at 
hand.” 

” You are in a bad mood, Bob — ” 



“ YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD.” 


“ I am simply in a condition to see myself as others must see 
me. What has my life been thus far ? I have been tolerated in 
the office — don’t shake your head ; you know tolerated is the 
proper word — I have been given a salary. My work has been 
done in a slip-shod way and without spirit or purpose. While I 
have stood still, you have gone upward, and now occupy a high 
position in the house. You have done it because you are not 
the scatter-brain that I am.” 

‘‘You are too hard on yourself, Bob. Everyone about the 
office likes you, and you are elsewhere popular and have many 


142 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


warm friends. You are certainly much mistaken if you suppose 
they have the same contempt for you that you seem to have for 
yourself.” 

‘‘Very good. You are one of my friends, Jack, and you 
have been a better friend than I deserve. Now will you tell me 
one thing in which I have excelled ? ” • 

‘‘ Why — really — it may be difficulty to point out just where 
your greatest strength lies — ’ ’ 

’ ‘‘Very difficult indeed,” answered Bob, bitterly, ‘‘for the 
very good reasons that there are no strong points to discover. 
You call me a good fellow, but what genius does it require to 
be a good fellow ? Do as everybody wants you, be a supple 
instrument in the hands of everyone, and of course you are a 
good fellow. I wish I were not such a good-natured nobody. I 
wish I could show some indications of moral strength. Why, I 
even envy that drunken Dick Johnson. He is in the gutter half 
the time, but when he gets drunk he does it with a vengeance. 
When he is sober, what a splendid workman he is. He works 
just as he gets drunk — no half-way measures about it, but v/ith 
his whole life thrown into it. I ’d rather have a few vices and 
know that I possessed some force than be the namby-pamby, 
gentle creature that I am, going through life trying to drive 
spikes with a tack hammer ! ” 

Jack was grieved at his friend’s distress, but what could he 
say ? Bob had, as he asserted, pictured himself as others saw 
him. Jack could not truthfully say that he was indispensable to 
the business. He could not even say that his work had always 
given satisfaction, for Bob’s wits frequently went wool-gathering 
while he was at w^ork in the office, and the mind and body must 
not be too far separated to work harmoniously. Diffusiveness 
was the weak point in Bob’s character. 

‘‘Well, Bob,” said Jack, after a little reflection, ‘‘let’s 
admit, for argument’s sake, that you have your faults — that 
you haven’t concentrated the powers of your mind as you 
should have done — does it necessarily follow that no improve- 
ment is possible? You have a fine mental organization. I can 
say that most unreservedly ; and, with your mind put under 
proper discipline and restraint, I see nothing in the way of your 
making a success of almost anything you may undertake.” 


143 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ There is only this in the way, that the formative period of 
my life is almost passed. My habits have been cultivated, have 
grown and have become fixed. Seven years ago. Jack, we each 
of us planted a memorial tree in the garden. They were both 
alike and seemingly perfect, sound and straight. You attended to 
yours carefully. You kept the limbs well trimmed and you com- 
pelled it to grow in a symmetrical shape. It is to-day a beauti- 
ful tree and hangs laden with choice fruit. My tree was allowed 
to run. wild. It became bent, and as no one attempted to 
straighten it, it grew up a deformed tree. Its vitality run to 
waste in a tangled mass of branches. It bears some fruit, but it 
is small and scrawny. Those trees. Jack, typify our lives. Per- 
haps I can prune my tree ; straighten it up and graft new scions 
on the trunk, but I never can make it a shapely tree, and it may 
be too old to undergo such a thorough reconstruction as may be 
necessary.” 

Bob coughed, and Jack then noticed that he was looking 
thin and pale. Strange that he had never noticed this before, 
but now that he examined his friend’s face, he saw that the 
cheeks were sunken and the cheek bones prominent. His eyes 
were very bright, however, but this was no doubt due to the 
excitement into which he had worked himself. 

“ My dear Bob,” said Jack, anxiously, ” I am afraid you are 
not well.” 

” O, don’t pay any attention to that little cough,” replied 
Bob, hastily. ” I ’ve been troubled with that a long time.” 

The door bell just then rang, and a note was brought in to 
Jack. It was from Mr. Williamson urging him to come immedi- 
ately to the ofiice, as important business had come up. 



144 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXXIL 

A CRITICAL CONDITION. 

ACK was greatly surprised when he entered 
the office and noticed the strange appear- 
ance of Mr. Williamson. He sat before 
the grate looking moodily into the fire, 
and so abstracted that he did not observe 
Jack’s entrance. He was pale, and the 
expression of his features denoted that 
some unusually heavy trouble was oppressing his mind. He 
heaved a deep sigh, and his fingers toyed with his watch chain. 
Jack paused for a moment and watched the old man carefully. 
He felt intuitively that it was no ordinary business trouble 
which Mr. Williamson had encountered, for his was a buoyant, 
elastic nature, and in meeting and conquering difficulties he was 
brave almost to rashness. 

Finding that he must rouse him from his reverie. Jack 
stepped up and placed his hand on Mr. Williamson’s shoulder. 
He started nervously, and looked up to Jack with a frightened 
expression of countenance. 

“ You are in trouble, Mr. Williamson,” observed Jack. 

“Yes,” he answered slowly, dropping his gaze into the fire. 
“Yes, Jack, I am worried a little, and thinking your young, 
vigorous mind might help me to understand some things which 
are now all in a fog, I sent for you. I hope I did not put you 
to any inconvenience.” 

‘‘Not at all,” answered Jack, “I was entirely unengaged, 
and in any event I should consider anything I might be able to 
do for you paramount to everything else.” 

‘‘Thank you, Jack, you are very kind. You have always 
been faithful to my interests, and this is why I select you to be 
a sharer of my troubles and burdens.” 

‘‘ I trust nothing very serious has occurred, sir ? ” 



145 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ I wish I could feel that such were the case, but the trouble 
that oppresses me now is of a two-fold nature. It is a business 
trouble, but it is — something deeper — something deeper.” 

Mr. Williamson paused and rubbed his hands thoughtfull)^ 
He then resumed : 

“Jack, you have been my confidential clerk in all respects 
but one. You have never been shown a balance sheet of the 
business. You have never looked over the private ledger, and 
hence you have never been made acquainted with the actual con- 
dition of the business.” 

“ Very true,” replied Jack, “but I have had no curiosity in 
that direction. I knew enough of the business to see that it was 
steadily growing and prospering, and while Mr. Noel had charge 
of the books, of course we all knew that that department of the 
business could not be in better hands.” 

“Exactly, Mr. Noel has worked long and faithfully, and has 
been identified with the business since the first invoice came in. 
But, Jack, you have been working under an illusion. The busi- 
ness, for a number of years, has lost — lost heavily ! ” 

“You surprise me ! Surely this seems incredible ! ” 

“I am at a loss to account for it myself, but Mr. Noel has 
shown me the facts and figures, and the humiliating truth was 
only too plain.” 

“But how can it be? Wherein have we lost? We have 
made but very few bad debts, and they were insignificant in 
amount. Our expenses, I think, have been reasonable and within 
bounds. We certainly have not lost by a decline in prices, 
and our goods have been sold at a fair profit. How is it pos- 
sible that the business has sustained heavy losses ? ” 

Mr. Williamson shook his head in great perplexity, and after 
a short pause observed : 

“ You know, Jack, that my weak point is bookkeeping. It 
sets my brain buzzing to look over anything containing a column 
of figures. I have left the books entirely to Mr. Noel. Still, 
when it is shown to me that my net worth this year is fifteen 
thousand dollars less than it was last year, I cannot avoid the 
conclusion that I have lost money somewhere.” 

“Yes, but a double-entry set of books shows something more 
than the mere fact that you have lost or gained. It shows the 


146 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


source of loss and the avenue of every gain. Has n’t Mr. Noel 
made a statement for you of the accounts showing losses and 
gains ? ” 

“ O, I presume he has ; but, of course, I could n’t make head 
nor tail of a complicated balance sheet. But there is no use in 
discussing these points now. There are ugly facts staring us in 
the face. We have lost money, but more than that, we have an 
unusual amount of paper to meet shortly. Strangely enough it 
happens to accumulate just at a time when our customers’ 
accounts are not due, and we have nothing to realize on.” 

” But how does it happen that these notes were given so as 
to fall due at such a time ? ” 

” Ah ! there it is ! Mr. Noel is the most careful and methodi- 
cal man in the world, but I can’t help feeling that he made a 
little error in judgment when he made these notes without notic- 
ing that they would all fall due at an inconvenient time. Of 
course it is a chance affair that might never happen again, but it 
is very unfortunate all the same.” 

“And what is the whole amount of paper that must be taken 
care of ? ” 

“One hundred and ten thousand dollars.” 

Jack whistled and frowned 

“ And how much money have you in the bank ? ” 

“About fifteen thousand.” 

‘ ‘ What amount of notes have you that you can get dis- 
counted ? ’ ’ 

“Not over sixty thousand. You see it isn’t time for the 
customers’ notes to be sent in. But even if we had more notes 
we could not realize on them at this time, for the banks have n’t 
the money to loan.” 

Jack paced the floor in great perplexity. “ I ’ve always 
enjoyed having hard problems presented to me,” he observed, 
“but this suits me a little too well. We must manage to tide 
over this affair in some way, but how ? ’ ’ 

“ Only one way has offered itself thus far, and that — O, my 
God ! ” suddenly exclaimed Mr. Williamson, pressing his head 
between his hands. 

What could this strange agitation mean? Could Mr. Wil- 
liamson contemplate the perpetration of some crime? Impos- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


147 


sible! He would die first. And yet the means of relief presented 
could not be considered without a shudder on his part. 

Jack was at a loss what to say. He was anxious to know 
just what this dreadful alternative was, but he did not wish to 
appear inquisitive, or to press questions which Mr. Williamson 
might not desire to answer. 

“ I infer,” said Jack, at length, ” that the only remedy which 
seems to be now at your command is objectionable — ” 

“Objectionable !” interrupted Mr. Williamson, “it is out- 
rageous ! it is villainous ! Excuse me. Jack, for this outburst. 
I am hardly myself to-night, and my nerves are all unstrung. I 
have scarcely eaten or slept for the last forty-eight hours, and in 
consequence am nearly prostrated. But I am feeling better than 
I did. It does me good to talk to you, and I will ease my mind 
and make you acquainted with the situation by telling you all 
without reservation.” 

“ Your confidence will be considered sacred.” 

“ I know that. Jack, and I know, too, that no One is so com- 
petent to extricate me from my unfortunate tangle as you^ This 
is not the first time I have had these embarrassments. Hereto- 
fore, however, they have given me but little trouble, thanks to a 
good, kind friend who has stood by me through thick and thin. 
I refer to Mr. Noel. Being a single man, with no vicious or 
expensive habits, he has been able to amass quite a respectable 
little fortune while he has been with me. He is quite economi- 
cal. very prudent and extremely cautious. His investments 
have all been made with excellent good judgment, and he has 
the advantage over me of being a thorough bookkeeper and 
understanding his own business thoroughly. Heretofore when 
I have found myself in a tight place, Mr. Noel has come forward 
with funds to help me out. I am owing him a considerable sum 
of money which represents these advances, and all the security 
he has required was my simple note of hand.” 

“ And has he no money at his disposal now? ” asked Jack. 

“Yes, he has money, and it is ready for me the moment I 
sanction the condition on which it is to be advanced.” 

“ Then there are abjectionable conditions ? ” 

“ Not so far as Mr. Noel is concerned. His motives are pure 
and his intentions as straight and honorable as they are in every- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


'148 

thing he has ever done. Perhaps I do not state him right. He 
does not exact any conditions. He only tells me that he will be 
able to come to my relief if certain things come to pass. It 
isn’t a bribe nor a threat — no, no — and yet my soul recoils 
with horror when I think of it ! But I must not keep you 
longer in suspense. Mr. Noel has confided to me the fact that 
he loves Elsie, and if he cannot make her his wife, he must leave 
this part of the world forever. He has said nothing to Elsie. 
He is too manly to do this without consulting me first. He 
realizes that he is much older than she, but still he is not yet on 
the down-grade of life. In fact, he is hardly in his prime. Now 
understand, he is willing to loan me the money to tide me over 
this trouble, if he knows that he is going to stay here. But if 
Elsie does not encourage his suit, then he says he must convert 
all his property into money and try to forget his life’s greatest 
sorrow in a foreign land. You understand his situation now, 
Jack.” 

“Yes — I think I understand it,” answered Jack. 

“Now,” continued Mr. Williamson, “while I fully realize 
the purity of Mr. Noel’s motives, I cannot help the feeling that 
when I influence Elsie to accept Mr. Noel’s addresses, I am bar- 
tering her for money. Heaven knows the riches of the world 
wouldn’t buy the small joint of her little finger, and it makes 
me feel contemptible and hate myself when I think of any 
advantage I may secure by giving her into the keeping of 
another, no matter how good and noble he may be. Mr. Noel 
wishes me to talk with Elsie and explain the situation fully, 
thinking it would have more influence upon her, coming from 
me. But I declare I can’t force myself .to it — it seems impos- 
sible ! ” 

Jack had nothing to say. 

“It occurred to me, however,” resumed Mr. Williamson, 
“that you, being a warm friend of Elsie’s, might broach the 
subject to her and learn her feelings in the matter. You have 
excellent taste and a happy w’ay of expressing things so as to 
produce the best effect. Elsie has a high regard for you and will 
take kindly any advice you may give or suggestions you may 
offer. I do n’t wish that she should feel that any effort is being 
made to force her inclinations — she must feel that she is per- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


149 


fectly free to decide according to the dictates of her own heart. 
Now, Jack, this is asking a great deal of you, but will you 
undertake this mission for me ? ’ ’ 

“ I will do the best I can for you,” answered Jack. 

‘ ‘ Then that is the best anyone can do. There is no one so 
competent to execute this delicate errand as yourself. Call on 
Elsie at once. Handle the matter according to your best judg- 
ment, and whatever the result may be I shall not question its 
wisdom.” 

Jack took his leave, and with his brain in a strange tumult of 
excitement, started out in the fulfillment of the peculiar mission 
entrusted to him. He had a great deal of coolness and assur- 
ance, had a pleasing address, and heretofore had found no diffi- 
culty in expressing himself, but his heart was beating a tattoo 
when he ascended the steps of the Williamson mansion and rang 
the door-bell. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


150 


Chapter XXXIII. 

A starti^ing charge. 



N a former occasion Jack tersely described 
Elsie Williamson as a boyish sort of a 
girl, and he might now with equal force 
have described her as a manly young 
lady. I do not propose now to picture 
to the reader the common type of hero- 
ine, for Elsie was in many ways a most 
uncommon girl. She was handsome, 
there was no question about that, but 
her beauty had not spoiled her. She 
was said to possess many singular traits of 
character, but these eccentricities were 
simply the manifestations of innate good 
sense. She was healthy, active and energetic, 
and whatever she undertook to do was done 
with force and enthusiasm. Elsie was open, 
honest and straightforward and did not know 
the art of dissimulation. She used neither paint 
nor powder. Nature painted her cheeks better 
than the most skillful artist could have done it, and, moreover, 
Elsie felt that it was just as bad to paint a lie on the cheeks as 
to tell it with the tongue. Queer girl, wasn’t she ? 

On that eventful evening when Jack called to communicate 
to Elsie the nature of the troubles in which her father had 
become involved, and to suggest the way in which she might be 
instrumental in affording relief, she was sitting at the organ 
singing some soft little ballad. Elsie was fond of music, but she 
could n’t shriek by note. Her music was melody, and was 
indescribably charming in its effect. Perhaps it would not have 
satisfied a musical critic, but certainly no one with any ear for 
melody could listen to her singing and playing without being 
charmed. 


The Business House that Jack Built. 15 1 

On Jack’s entrance she rose and greeted him cordially. 

“I am really glad you came, Jack,” she observed, in the 
most hearty and unaffected manner. ‘ ‘ I was feeling terribly 
lonely, and pa hasn’t been in the house for several evenings — 
and that reminds me — he is in some trouble. I know it. He 
tries to appear gay and cheerful when he is at home, but it is all 
forced. He is worried about something. Jack ; do you know 
what it is ? ” 

” I think I do, Klsie,” answered Jack, greatly relieved that 
the subject had been precipitated upon him, without subjecting 
him to the embarrassment of introducing it. ” Your father is 
in trouble, and my visit here to-night is in connection with that 
very subject.” 

” Is it a business trouble ? ” asked Elsie. 

” Primarily it is. The financial affairs of the house are in a 
queerly complicated state, and as I only learned the condition of 
affairs to-night, I am not yet quite able to comprehend them 
myself.” 

“But I thought you were my father’s confidential clerk,’ 
Jack, and understood all about the workings of the business.” 

” True ; I am his confidential clerk, and I think he tells me all 
about the business that he knows himself, but the financial 
affairs, except in a general way, neither of us has had anything 
to do with. Mr. Noel attends to that department of the busi- 
ness, and, of course, we felt perfectly satisfied while it was in 
such safe hands.” 

“Yes, Mr. Noel has always enjoyed the confidence of every 
one, and I suppose he is a most excellent bookkeeper. I do n’t 
like him though, I ’m frank enough to admit.” 

“Indeed! What possible grounds can you have for dislik- 
ing Mr. Noel ? ” 

“No reasonable ones, I suppose, and perhaps I am very 
childish and foolish, but I can’t help it.' You may remember 
that I took a course in a business college last summer, and 
became quite an enthusiast on bookkeeping. Well, I fancied I 
knew something about practical bookkeeping, but still I was 
anxious to put my knowledge to a practical test, so I called on 
Mr. Noel and asked him to allow me to keep a duplicate set of 
books from his records and compare balances with him at the 


152 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


end of the month, and do n’t you think the hateful old thing 
would n’t let me do it ! ” 

“Is it possible? I am very much surprised ! What pos- 
sible reason could he give for refusing so simple a request ? ’’ 

“Oh, he gave scores of reasons in that smooth, polite way 
of his. One was, I remember, the peculiar views he professed to 
hold regarding the sacredness of the trusts confided to him 
which prevented him from allowing any one, aside from my 
father, any opportunity for becoming possessed of facts which 
should be considered confidential — and all that.’’ 



“ Well,’’ answered Jack, “ that is Mr. Noel all over. is. 
the soul of honor, and is conscientious to a scruple. Of course 
he had no means of knowing how well guarded your own dupli- 
cate books might be, and a bookkeeper cannot guard the busi- 
ness secrets of the house too jealously.’’ 

“Oh, he was in the right, I suppose, but still I think he 
might have allowed me to look over his books just to see if I 
could get any new points in accounts, but he would n’t give me- 
that little privilege.” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


153 


“ Mr. Noel possesses more firmness than I do,” answered 
Jack, smiling. “I am afraid I could not have withstood your 
importunities under similar circumstances. Mr. Noel may have 
been unnecessarily guarded in this instance, but better this 
extreme than the other.” 

” But what is the immediate trouble in the house, and what 
effect is it going to have ? ” 

” The immedite cause of anxiety is that we have a large 
amount of paper to meet shortly, and have not sufficient funds 
on hand to provide for it.” 

” How does it all happen to become due at this particular 
time ? ” 

‘‘ Ah ! that is something I do n’t quite understand myself. As 
I explained to you, I am unfamiliar with the financial affars of 
the house. I supposed until to-night that our business was in a 
highly prosperous condition, and had been for some time, but I 
find now that I was mistaken. We have been losing money for 
a long time.” 

‘‘That is very strange,” answered Elsie. ‘‘I have never 
heard even a hint of this before.” 

‘‘Nor have I. The business has certainly been growing and 
expanding, and yet your father assures me that we have sus- 
tained heavy losses.” 

‘‘And is this the first time you have got in this financial 
straight?” 

‘‘ No, it seems that we have been in this condition before, 
but the difficulties have been bridged over.” 

“How?” 

‘‘ By the kindness of Mr. Noel, the man who has awakened 
your serious displeasure. He has advanced your father money 
from his own funds to tide him over his diflSculties.” 

‘‘ And has his money given out, so that he cannot continue 
his favors ? ” 

“ No, he still has money, but — but — ” Jack hesitated and 
became at once very nervous ; the crisis was at hand. 

‘‘But what. Jack?” asked Elsie, looking him full in the 
face. 

‘‘ Elsie,” pleaded Jack, ‘‘give me just a moment in which to 
arrange my thoughts. I hardly know how to communicate to 


154 


The E'dsinezs Hoi:zc thzii Jach Built 

yon wliat I must do, but which I wish to heaven I had never 
undertaken. But I am sent here by your father — your father, 
Klsie, who loves you better than all earthly possessions, and 
would lose his whole business and his own life with it rather 
than have a hair of your head injured.” 

” Well, upon my word, Jack, I don’t see what all this out- 
burst of sentiment has to do with father’s business troubles. 



What possible connection can I have with them or how is it in 
my power to alleviate them ? ” 

‘ ‘ It is in your power, Elsie, for — I must out with it if it 
kills me — Mr. Noel loves you, Elsie, and he cannot make any 
more advances unless you will promise to be his wife ! ” 

Elsie was on her feet in an instant, her cheeks crimson and 
ker eyes fairly blazing. Stamping her foot she exclaimed in 


The Business House that Jack Built. 155 

tones that made Jack’s ears tingle: “And you dare, Jack 
Wharton, to come here with such an infamous, insulting pro- 
posal ? There is the door, sir. When I want any of your valuable 
counsel I will send for you ! ’’ 

She pointed to the door, and looked a veritable little queen 
of tragedy. Jack was literally overwhelmed, and for once 
seemed crushed and utterly unable to assume the defensive. He 
stood for a moment looking foolish enough, for he realized now 
the awful extent to which he had “ put his foot in it.” 

“ Elsie,” he began, “ do allow me just one word of explana- 
tion. I was too abrupt, and you have n’t given me a chance to 
finish what I was going to say. Will you not listen to me for 
just a moment ? ” 

“ Go on, sir,” replied Elsie, coldly. 

“ That is,” answered Jack, confusedly, “ go on — out of the 
room or go on with my explanation ? ” 

“Explain.” 

“Then, Elsie, let me impress upon your mind that I came 
with this message merely in the discharge of a duty. I ought 
not to have consented to it, I know it — but your father, Elsie, 
your poor, troubled father wanted to know just what your feel- 
ing might be towards Mr. Noel — ” 

“ Well, sir, I think you are well enough posted now to go 
back and tell him ! ” 

“Elsie, Elsie, do show me a little mercy ! ” pleaded Jack. 

‘ ‘ Remember I am only an ambassador, not an advocate — no, 
no ! Your father, too, wishes it distinctly understood that you 
are not to consider him, but to follow the dictates of your own 
heart. He does not wish to bargain you away, but you know 
how highly he regards Mr. Noel, and he felt that if you had any 
inclination to encourage Mr. Noel’s addresses that it would not 
be improper for you to know the circumstances in which he 
finds himself placed.” 

“ Why did that paragon of human excellence choose to make 
his proposition through a proxy ? ” asked Elsie. 

“ He knows nothing about my being sent here on this errand. 
This was a plan of your father’s which I, in a moment of weak- 
ness, undertook to carry out. Now, Elsie, do please be your own 
generous self again. I am heartity ashamed of my part in this 


156 The Business House that Jack Built. 

miserable affair, but I did it from the best of motives, incon- 
siderately, of course, but still with the desire to help your 
father, who has been such a good friend to me that I would do 
anything, however preposterous and foolhardy, if it would do 
him a service.” 

Elsie could not resist the pathos of Jack’s appeal. Her lips 
quivered, tears started to her eyes, and putting her hand in 
Jack’s she said: “Jack I see you are not to blame, and have 
been doing what you thought was for the best, but how could 
you, could you, be such an idiot ? ” 

This conundrum was a poser, and Jack was forced to give it 
up. 

But by some queer instinct he could not give up her hand, 
and there is no telling how long he would have held it if Elsie 
had not gently withdrawn it. 

Just then steps were heard in the hall, and after what seemed 
to be a pause of uncertainty, the door opened and Mr. William- 
son slowly entered the room. An interesting tableau met his 
eye — Elsie in tears, and Jack, with the most foolish expression 
on his countenance that had ever been seen on it before, was 
standing twirling his fingers. 

As Elsie looked up into her father’s troubled face, all the 
remains of indignation melted away, and springing up she flung 
her arms around his neck, exclaiming : 

“ O, pa, why couldn’t you have told me of your troubles 
before ? Am I such a weak, pitiful thing that I cannot under- 
stand your difficulties, and understanding cannot give you any 
help?” 

‘‘Then I am too late. Jack; you have told her all, have 
you ? ” said Mr. Williamson. 

” Elsie knows all,” answered Jack. 

‘ ‘ I hoped to reach the house in time to recall the message I 
entrusted you with. After you left, and I considered fully the 
nature of what I had authorized you to communicate, my soul 
recoiled at the very thought of securing an advantage by any 
sacrifice made by Elsie. My dear little girl,” continued Mr. 
Williamson, stroking Elsie’s hair, “consider the message which 
Jack took from me as something not coming from your father, 
but from a weak, old man whose brain was temporarily para- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


157 


lyzed with trouble. Don’t attach the least importance to it. 
Your heart is your own, my darling. Place it where it will find 
you the most happiness.” 

“There, there, papa,” answered Elsie, “don’t blame your- 
self when there is no occasion for it. Your motives were good 
and pure — they always are — but Jack ought to have known 
better, the foolish fellow. I did think he had more sense.” 

“But, Elsie, dear,” said Mr. Williamson, “Jack is in nowise 
'to blame. He simply conveyed my message as a matter of kind^ 
ness to me. Don’t attach any blame to him, for surely he 
does n’t deserve it.” 

“Well, perhaps he doesn’t, and I hope he will excuse me, 
but I can’t help thinking he ought to have known better. 
Surely he is old enough to have some little discretion ! ” 

Why was Elsie so angry at Jack ? Poor fellow, he felt badly 
punished !br a fault which he had committed but couldn’t 
understand. 

“But now,” said Elsie, resuming her old spirited manner, 
“ while we three are together, let us talk this matter over. I 
want to understand more than I do now. Sit down. Jack. You 
deserve to be sent home for your incorrigible stupidity, so you 
do, but perhaps you have n’t lost quite all of your good sense. 
I have heard pa say, when speaking of the business, that 
people would say in after years ‘ this is the house that Jack 
built.’ Of course you have done well. Jack. You have built 
up the house, but do n’t you remember the old nursery jingle 
about a certain house that Jack built ? One part of it says : 
‘ This is the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack 
built.’ Now there ’s a rat in your house. Jack, and what are we 
going to do about it ? Why, ‘ this is the cat that caught the rat 
that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.’ Papa, 
you used to call me Puss when I was little. I am older now, 
and perhaps I can successfully assume the role of a cat ? ” 

“ What in the world are you coming at, Elsie? ” asked Mr. 
Williamson. 

“Just this: You and Jack have been blinded, deceived and 
robbed. A rat has been carrying away your hoarded store. The 
rat is a soft and sleek fellow, and you both imagine he is a 
weasel who is employed to keep other rats away. Now you will 


158 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


call me all the abusive names that I have bestowed upon Jack, 
but I know, I tell you I know, that the rat is in your office, and 
his name is — 

“Yes, yes, his name, Klsie? ** 

“ Gkorge Noki* 1 



0 


V ' 










The BuHness House that Jack Built. 


159 


Chapter XXXIV. 

HUNTING THH RAT. 


;LSIK’s astounding charge produced an 
effect in the minds of Mr. Williamson 
and Jack which no words can ade- 
quately describe. Mr. Williamson was 
first dazed, then astounded, and then 
indignant. What ! the cherished friend 
of long years, the main prop and support 
of the house of John Williamson, charged 
with the grave crime of emb^^zzlement by a 
young girl, and that girl his own daugh- 
ter ? It was preposterous, heartless and 
ungrateful ! 

Mr. Williamson’s face flushed and his 
voice trembled as he said : ‘ ‘ Elsie, I feel 

deeply humiliated that a daughter of mine 
should so far forget herself and the respect 
due to her father as to give utterance to a 
grave slander against one of his best and 
dearest friends, a slander founded on no 
facts, but rather instigated by a dislike which is the result of a 
capricious whim. I hope Jack will not let these wild assertions 
have any influence with him, for surely nothing should be 
listened to so monstrously, outrageously unjust ! 

“Go on, pa,” returned Elsie, coolly, “blow yourself cold 
and then we will come down to business again. I shall not 
reproach you with doing me a great injustice by intimating that 
I was capable of the baseness of striking a death blow to a 
man’s reputation without having more warrant than personal 
dislike. When you are willing to listen to a little plain, hard 
reason, I think I can show you that I did not make these 
charges, which you are pleased to term preposterous and unjust, 
without some few little facts to sustain them.” 



i6o The Business House that Jaok Built. 

“What you consider reasons,” returned Mr. WiHiamson, 
coldly, “ are very likely but a slight justification for the serious 
charges you have made against Mr. Noel, but I am willing to 
listen to you, and give you the full benefit of all that you can 
urge in your own defense.” 

“And Jack,” said Elsie, turning to that discomfited indi- 
vidual, “are you willing to accord me the same gracious 
privilege ? ’ ’ 

“ Indeed, Elsie,” answered Jack, “ I am more than anxious 
to hear what you have to communicate. I must confess I do not 
as yet share your convictions regarding the dishonesty of Mr. 
Noel, but I have the most implicit confidence in your good sense, 
and know you would not make such a charge without having 
some evidence to warrant you.” 

“ Many thanks for your good opinion. Jack, and if it should 
be proved that I have done Mr. Noel a great injustice, and if, as 
a quite natural consequence, my heart should so soften toward 
him as to save the house in the manner you wish me to, by 
marrying that great philanthropist, you shall be invited to the 
wedding, Jack, and do n’t forget it, please ! ” 

Jack winced and blushed as these merciless sallies were 
directed against him, but Elsie was cool and collected. Mr. 
Williamson colored and bit his lip, and Elsie resumed : 

“ I told you, I believe, that I had studied bookkeeping, and 
fancied I knew something about accounts. I told you, too, that 
I requested Mr. Noel to allow me the privilege of keeping a 
duplicate set of books of the house and tallying with him at the 
end of each month. I told you that he refused my request.” 

“There was nothing improper in that,” observed Mr. Wil- 
liamson. “ Mr. Noel considers the books of the house a sacred 
trust — ” 

“ O, yes, I know, sacred to his own purposes ; but I do n’t 
give this circumstance as any reason for my suspicions — my 
convictions rather. I thought but little about that. I con- 
sidered Mr. Noel unnecessarily churlish, but I did n’t blame him 
for it, or attribute to him any wrong motives. But it happened 
one day that I was in the office and Mr. Noel happened to be 
out. His cash book was on the desk and I opened it. I wanted 
to steal, too, but I was after ideas, and not money. Almost 


The Business House that Jack Built. i6i 

■mechanically, I commenced adding up the columns, for I do love 
to add figures, although it may be unladylike in me to confess 
to such an accomplishment. You are probably aware — if Mr. 
Noel grants you the privilege of seeing the books at all — that he 
keeps a special column cash book, the items of sales and inter- 
est bping kept in columns by themselves and then extended into 
the general column to be posted at the end of the month. It is 



a labor-saving arrangement, and a very good one, but it aflfords 
a good plan for covering up frauds, as I shail show you. Now, 
in adding up one of these special columns on a page where there 
were a great many entries, I discovered an error of one thousand 
dollars in the footing. It was on the ‘ receipts ’ side of the 
cash book, and it was one thousand dollars too small. Thinking 
I must be mistaken, I added and re-added it, finally proving it 
by casting out the nines. But it was an error, certain and sure. 



i 62 


The Business House that Jack Buijt. 


I then looked over the other pages to see if the error had been 
noted and corrected, but it had not. I then examined the oppo- 
site side of the cash book to see if any balancing error had been 
made which would prevent this one from being noticed, but I 
failed to discover any. Now such an error would inevitably 
throw the cash out of balance and show it one thousand dollars 
‘ over ’ at night, but I looked at his cash tally and it balanced 
to a cent. Now what became of that thousand dollars ? ” 

“Well, Elsie,” said Mr. Williamson, “I am glad in one 
sense that you have adduced some evidence which might have 
some little plausibility against any other person than Mr. Noel. 
But I incline to the belief that if you should go over those addi- 
tions again you would find them all right. Mr. Noel is a very 
correct bookkeeper. I cannot remember when an error has ever 
been discovered in any of the many statements he sends out. In 
fact, his wonderful correctness is noticed by every one who has 
dealings with the bouse.” 

“ I am glad to hear you tell me that,” answered Elsie. “ You 
are helping me to argue my case by so doing. If he is so won- 
^derfully correct in his dealings with outside parties his correct- 
ness should be manifested in his dealings with the house. But 
the little error of one thousand dollars was not all. A few 
pages further on was another little error of three hundred dol- 
lars. This time it was in the expense column, on the disburse- 
ment page of the cash book, and the footing was just three hun- 
dred dollars too large. The cash at night should have been 
‘ over ’ three hundred dollars, but it was not. What became of 
that three hundred dollars ? ” 

Mr. Williamson frowned, and then arose and commenced 
pacing the floor. He was at a loss how to reply to the direct 
logic of Elsie’s facts. Still his faith in Mr. Noel was unshaken. 
The confidence established through the intercourse of years was 
too strong a structure to be shattered by a few blows. 

“Jack,” said Mr. Williamson, “ you are a good bookkeeper, 
what explanations can you offer to the discrepancies Elsie claims 
to have discovered ? ” 

“Keeping Mr. Noel out of sight,” answered Jack, “and 
judging the facts from a bookkeeping standpoint, the inference 
of fraud is inevitable. Still this conclusion does not necessarily 


The Business House that Jack Built. 163 

follow. In the item of one thousand dollars the error might 
have occurred in this way : Some entry may have been one 
thousand dollars too large and the error in the footing would 
just offset it and produce no effect on the cash balance.” 

“I thought of that,” said Elsie, ‘‘but there were no items 
over one thousand dollars in that column on that page ; so that 
theory is untenable. I gave Mr. Noel all the credit I could and, 
until recently, thought that I must be mistaken myself, but now 
look at the condition of the house. You have had a large busi- 
ness and apparently a prosperous one. You have been prudent, 
you have made few bad debts, you have not overstocked your- 
selves ; all this has been told me time and again. Now it 
appears you have lost money. Where has it gone ? Double 
entry bookkeeping requires that the source of every gain and 
the cause of every loss should be shown. But you have lost 
money and you don’t know how. Mr. Noel, on the other hand, 
has made money, and I ’ll venture to say you do n’t know how. 
He has had only a salary, but he has saved enough out of it to 
be a banker on a large scale for the house of John Williamson, 
and now promises to save it from ruin if he can virtually own it, 
and have the proprietor’s daughter thrown in.” 

“ For heaven’s sake, Elsie,” exclaimed Mr. Williamson, 
” do n’t say any more or I shall become distracted ! This is 
becoming horrible. I don’t admit that you are right. I can’t 
until much stronger evidence is afforded me. It is all a mistake 
— it must be — ” 

“Yes,” interrupted Elsie, ” it is a mistake. This blind con- 
fidence in any one man is a mistake. But I won’t asl^ you to 
pronounce judgment on the evidence I have given you. Give 
me a chance to produce more.” 

‘ ‘ That is only a reasonable request, but how ? ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ Give me a chance to make a further examination of the 
books.” 

“ But how can this be done ? Mr. Noel, we know, objects to 
having the books inspected by any one outside of the house, and 
if I insisted upon your doing it, it might imply that I suspected 
him.” 

‘ ‘ Then let me have a chance to get into the of&ce nights or 
Sundays when he wiM not be there.” 


164 Business House that Jack Built. 1641 

“ But the books are kept in the vault, and Mr. Noel is the 
only one who has the combination.” 

“ Mr. Noel has your confidence, most surely. You cannot 
even examine your own property without asking his leave. 
Jack, why have n’t you had the combination ? Pa has some con- 
fidence in you, surely.” 

” I have a key to the inside door,” answered Jack, ” and as 
I do not have occasion to go to the vault except during business 
hours, I have not been put to any inconvenience.” 

Elsie tapped her foot impatiently and was silent for a few 
moments. Then looking up she exclaimed : “Jack, you must 
get that combination.” 

” Very good ; suggest a plan by which I can get it.” 

“Why, you stupid fellow, am I to do all the planning? 
Years ago, when you were only an office boy, you were a master 
hand at concocting schemes to meet all sorts of emergencies. 
Have you forgotten how you recovered my lost heart — that is 
— the steel one attached to the necklace,” explained Elsie,, 
blushing. 

” Indeed, I have not forgotten it,” answered Jack, ” and I ’ll 
make an effort to regain my lost reputation. I ’ll get that com- 
bination, Elsie. I won’t take any oath to that effect, or make a 
vow to take neither food nor water until I accomplish my pur- 
pose, but — /’// have that combination ! ” 

” Bravo, Jack ! when you talk that way I know ou mean 
business.” 

” Moreover, Elsie, this must be sifted to the bottom. There 
must be no half-way measures about it. Mr. Noel’s innocence 
or his guilt must be firmly established. We will get possession 
of the books, Elsie, and we will check them over. Excuse me, 
Mr. Williamson, for announcing these plans without first get- 
ting your approval, but I am sure that you must see that it is 
only right and proper that an investigation be at once made.” 

“You are quite right. Jack. I place the matter entirely in 
your hands. Do as it seems best to you. My head is all in a 
whirl, and I am losing confidence in my ability to make a proper 
estimate on human nature. If Mr. Noel is the unprincipled 
scoundrel — but pshaw ! how can I entertain the thought so far 
as to give utterance to an ‘ if ? ’ ” 


The Business House that Jack Built. 165 

“ Time will prove all things,” answered Jack. “And, now, 
Elsie, what do you say to an evening at the opera ? A little 
diversion from these perplexing cares may be of benefit to us. ’ ’ 

“ Very good. Jack, we ’ll go to the opera to-night. The last 
time I went. Bob Hanlon was my escort and I confess I enjoyed 
his pleasure as much as I did the music. During the whole per- 
formance he seemed like one entranced, and he confessed to me 
going home that he could not conceive of heaven having any 
higher happiness for him than he had that evening experienced. 
You know the dear fellow is quite an enthusiast.” 

“ Yes, but I was not aware that he carried his enthusiasm to 
such heights on music.” 

“ Well, I presume it might be attributed to both the music 
and the surroundings.” 

“ Exactly,” responded Jack, dryly, “ to the surroundings.” 

“ But that reminds me,” said Elsie, “ I have n’t seen Bob for 
some time. Where is he keeping himself nowadays ? ” 

“ Bob is not well, and I confess I am beginning to feel anx- 
ious about him. He has a troublesome cough and I can see 
from some cause he is getting weaker every day. The difficulty 
is he won’t admit that anything is the matter with him. But 
something must be done for him. I ’m afraid, too, that his 
mind is oppressed with some trouble. He communes with him- 
self too much. He is not the Bob Hanlon he once was.” 

“ Poor boy ! ” said Elsie, with a sigh, ” a better hearted and 
truer friend never lived. I always thought so much of Bob, 
and Ee hasn’t been here for ever so long. I hope I have done 
nothing to offend him. I will call on his mother some day.” 

“Do,” said Jack. “ An angel’s visit will do him more good 
than the doctor’s.” 

“No nonsense. Jack,” commanded Elsie. 



i66 


The Business House that Jack Built, 


Chapter XXXV. 

WHAT THE OPERA REVEAEED. 

CK and Elsie were late in arriving at the opera, 
but were just in time to witness the first appear- 
ance on the stage of the prima donna, who 
straightway carried them up into the higher 
realms of music. Jack, as in duty bound, 
applauded the fair queen of song, but in his 
secret heart he felt that there was far more soul- 
stirring melody in “ Home, Sweet Home,^’ as 
Elsie sang it, than in an entire opera o^ Italian 
musical pyrotechnics. 

Moreover, Jack’s mind was not on the per- 
formance on the stage. He was rehearsing a 
drama in his own mind, and the hero of that drama was in a 
perilous position. He had pledged himself to accomplish a very 
difficult thing without any conception whatever of the.ways and 
means for doing it. 

“How can I possibly get that combination?” Jack asked 
himself over and over again, without being rewarded with even 
a hint or a suggestion. “I cannot ask Mr. Noel for it, for I 
must do nothing to arouse his suspicions. Besides, I don’t 
know that he would give it to me if I did ask him.” 

“Jack,” said Elsie, “ why don’t you use your opera glass? 
You seem to be very unsusceptible to-night to the charms of the 
diva. Do look at her and catch the full expression of that 
manufactured smile.” 

Jack complied and raised the glass to his eyes. He gazed 
for a moment at the fair vision, and then suddenly lowered his 
glass and stared vacantly at the fat, bald-headed man agitating 
the bass violin in the orchestra. 

Recovering his mental equilibrium, he turned to Elsie and 
whispered, excitedly : 

“ I can do it, Elsie ! ” 



i67 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“Do what, Jack?” answered Elsie. “Make that horrid 
noise on the bass viol ? ” for Jack was again staring vacantly at 
the fat fiddler. 

“ No, no,” answered Jack, “I’m not thinking of the music 
at all. But — I know how I can get that combination 1 ” 

“Bravo, Jack!” responded Elsie. “And now, do behave 
yourself and attend to the opera.” 

Jack obeyed one part of the injunction. He behaved him- 
self, but he certainly did not attend to the opera. He was 
heartily glad when the curtain descended on the last act, and he 
felt a sense of relief when he was on the way home with Elsie, 
confiding to her the details of his plan for capturing the combi- 
nation of the vault. 

“How very fortunate it was we went to the opera to-night,” 
said Jack. “ The plan that might never have been invented by 
me was discovered in a moment by the merest accident.” 

“You are not sure of the practicability of the plan, how- 
ever ? ’ ’ 

“No, success is not a certainty, but to my mind it is a 
strong probability.” 

“Will you want my assistance? ” 

“ Certainly, there must be one to note down the numbers 
while the other calls them off.” 

“ Very good. When shall the experiment be tried ? ” 

“To-morrow morning. Mr. Noel gets to the office about 
eight o’clock. We will be at our post of observation at least a 
quarter of an hour before that time. If we do n’t succeed the 
first time, we will ‘ try, try again,’ but I am sanguine of success. 
Anyhow, there is no disgrace in failure.” 

It was midnight when Jack entered his room at the Hanlon 
cottage. Somehow he seemed to have a great deal to say to 
Elsie that night, and when he left her it seemed as if there were 
many important points that hadn’t been talked over. He felt, 
too, very much dissatisfied with himself about something. When 
he came to review the events of the day his self-disgust in- 
increased. Think what he had done — or attempted to do 1 He 
had asked Elsie to sell herself to a man who might prove to be a 
smooth hypocrite, a fawning sycophant, a black-hearted scoun- 
drel I He, Jack Wharton, who prided himself on having some 


i68 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


business sagacity, had been hoodwinked and blindfolded, and. 
the bandage had been removed from his eyes by a young girl ! 

But again, suppose Elsie had fallen in with his infamous sug- 
gestion, and had agreed to become the wife of Mr. Noel — good 
gracious ! the thought was simply maddening ! And Elsie, 
what must she think of him ? Of course she must hold him in 
utter contempt. She was still complaisant and kind, but that 
was because she did not consider him of enough importance to 
justify anger or indignation. 

Jack looked in the glass before retiring and shaking his fist 
at what he saw reflected, he exclaimed: “You are a pitiful 
sneak, sir ; a contemptible, pitiful sneak! You haven’t got 
good, common sense, and if Elsie thought that you were of any 
more account than a common whiffet — and a yellow one at that 
— she would never look at you again, sir ! ’’ 

And a very much disgusted individual crawled into bed and 
attempted to forget his own contemptible self in sleep. He was 
a long time wooing the drowsy goddess, but when he did finalljr 
fall asleep, a gentle voice seemed to whisper softly in his ear : 
“ O, Jack, Jack, how could you, could you, be such an idiot 1 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


169 


Chapter XXXVI. 

getting the combination. 

BOOM containing the vault was six- 
teen feet high, and in the ceiling a 
register was inserted to carry off the 
surplus heat and keep the room ven- 
tilated. It served the purpose, too, 
of warming the sample room direct’ y 
overhead. In this room, over Mr. 
Noel’s desk, and commanding a view 
of the vault, Jack and Elsie were 
stationed the next morning long before 
eight. Of course. Jack knew that Mr. Noel would not be there 
before his accustomed time, but then, after all, the time did not 
hang very heavily on his hands, for Elsie was with him. 

Jack had an opera-glass in his hand, and was sighting the 
vault below through the register. 

“Just look through the glass, Elsie,” whispered Jack. “See 
how clear and distinct every notch and figure on the lock shows 
itself!” 

Elsie took in the situation through the opera glass, and 
handing it back, whispered : “ It ’s splendid. I ’m sure we shall 
succeed now.” 

“Keep your tablet and pencil in readiness, Elsie, and stand 
pretty close to me, so that you can catch the numbers distinctly 
as I call them off*. ” 

Elsie obediently moved up a little closer, and the vigilant 
watch was kept up. 

“Hark !” whispered Jack, finally, “that’s Mr. Noel’s step 
— I know it. Yes, here he is. Ready, Elsie? He is hanging 
up his hat — now — he is coming to the vault door. Now, 
Elsie, quick — he has made several quick revolutions to the 
right — too quick for me to count them. Now he turns slowly 
to the right and stops at forty-six, now to the left and stops at 



170 The Business House that Jack Built. 

thirty-eight, now twice round to the right, stopping at twenty, 
now to the left, stopping at the open space. Now he turns the 
handle and the bolt flies back. Have you got it all down, 
Elsie?” 

“ All as you gave it to me,” answered Elsie. ” Right, several 
times round to forty-six ; left, once round to thirty-eight ; right, 
twice round to twenty ; left, to open space. Now, if that opens 
the vault for him, why won’t it for us ? ” 

“It will, of course, Elsie. We have got the combination, 
and the secrets of those books will soon be ours.” 



“keep your pencil and tablet in readiness.” 


” Our work is done, then, for the present,” said Elsie. ‘‘I 
will slip down by the back stairs, and. Jack, you come home to 
dinner with pa to-day, and we ’ll discuss the plan of our future 
operations.” 

Jack was hardly in a fit condition for business that forenoon. 
He looked at his watch fifty times, and wondered what made the 
time pass so slowly. His ideas were not at all fluent, for he 
hesitated a long time in the composition of the most common- 
place business letters, and the eraser was called into requisition 
many times in correcting slips of the pen. But old Father 




The Business House that Jack Built, 171 

Time paid no attention to Jack’s fidgeting, but jogged ahead 
at his customary pace, arriving at the hour of noon at just 
twelve o’clock, as usual. 

Jack sent word to Mrs. Hanlon not to expect him to dinner^ 
and notified Mr. Williamson that he had accepted Elsie’s invita- 
tion to dine with him. 

“Quite right, Jack,” responded Mr. Williamson, “but, my 
boy, you will have to do the honors of the house to-day, for I 
have an engagement to dine down town to-day with an old 
friend of mine.” 

“In that event,” answered Jack, “I will postpone my 
call — ” 

“ Nothing of the kind, Jack. You go on up to the house, for 
you are Elsie’s guest, after all. I wanted to send word to them 
that I should not be at home to dinner, and you can convey the 
message for me.” 

So Jack went alone and dined with Elsie, not feeling so very 
disappointed after all. 

After the dinner, which passed off very pleasantly. Jack and 
Elsie adjourned to the sitting-room to discuss the plan of the 
campaign. 

“Assuming that our combination to the vault is correct,” 
said Jack, “ how and when can we get the books and commence 
our work of investigation ? ” 

“It must be done nights and Sundays,” answered Elsie. 
“ There is no other time when Mr. Noel is not there.” 

“ That reminds me,” said Jack. “ Mr. Noel conducts a mis- 
sion Sunday school in some country town and doesn’t get back 
to town until eight o’clock in the evening. Now, unless you 
have some conscientious scruples about working on Sunday — ’ ’ 

“ There is a big ox in the pit,” observed Elsie, “and I think 
we will be justified in making a great effort to get him out, even 
on Sunday. Eet us decide upon next Sunday afternoon to com- 
mence our raid upon the rat that ate the malt that lay in the 
house that Jack built.” 



172 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XXXVII. 

A CAI.I. ON BOB. 

N THE evening of the same day that the combi- 
nation to the vault was discovered Jack was 
enjoying a pleasant hour with Mrs. Hanlon and 
Bob. Jack was becoming alarmed over the 
daily change he noticed in his young friend, for 
there was no mistaking the indications that Bob’s 
health was failing rapidly. That troublesome 
cough, which resisted all the efforts made to 
silence it, was a warning voice, and Jack could 
not help but realize its significance. Yet Bob sturdily main- 
tained that nothing was the matter with him but a slight cold, 
which at that season of the year it was difficult to eradicate 
from the system. 

“ Bob, my boy,” said Jack, “ you must wake up and be your 
old self again. You do n’t know how much you are missing by 
burrowing in your little nest here instead of being out in the 
sunshine.” 

“Anything particularly stirring lately?” inquired Bob, 
languidly. 

“ Nothing perhaps that you would care for, unless it’s the 
opera. I know you are an enthusiast on the subject of music.” 

“ Yes, I confess that music has a wondrous charm for me. 
Have you been to the opera. Jack ? ” 

“ Yes, Klsie and I attended last night — why, Bob, what is 
the matter ? Are you in pain ? You are all in a tremble and 
you look like a ghost ! ” 

“It’s only — only — one of those queer spells that come 
over me occasionally. I do n’t think my digestion is quite right. 
Jack, or else it ’s my liver that is out of order. I shall be bet- 
ter presently. So --you went to the opera, you say? I hope 
you enjoyed it ? ” 

“ Well, no, I can’t say I did particularly, but to confess the 
truth, my mind was so preoccupied that I couldn’t give proper 
attention to the performance.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 173 

“ Exactly, I have been to the opera under similar conditions. 
Mother, you need n’t mind about making that toast that I 
thought I could eat. Of course I could eat it, but I think it 
would tone up my stomach if I should give it a rest to-night. 
And did — did Miss Elsie seem to enjoy it ? ” 

“Really, Bob,” answered Jack, laughing, “I am afraid I 
made but a sorry cavalier, for Elsie 'was obliged to administer 
several rebukes to keep me down to a realizing sense of where I 
was. I might about as well have been a wooden tobacco sign so 
far as my ability to entertain was concerned. It was very little 
of the time that I realized that I had a companion.” 

Bob became at once much interested, and the trouble occa- 
sioned by his disordered liver or stomach suddenly ceased. 
“Your mind must have been very much preoccupied, Jack,” he 
remarked, “ for Elsie is very lively company, and could readily 
make up for any dullness in the music. I remember one even- 
ing when I attended the opera with her, I enjoyed the pleasure 
she showed in the performance more than I did the perform- 
ance itself.” 

“Yes, and are more appreciated as an escort, Bob, than I 
am.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” asked Bob, blushing violently. 

“Why, Elsie herself told me how much she enjoyed your 
company, and what a pleasant time she had the last time you 
were out together.” 

“Did she really say that. Jack ? ” 

‘ ‘ She certainly did, and what is more, she feels slighted 
because you have not called on her lately.” 

‘ ‘ Do you mean to say that she actually expressed a wish 
that I should call on her ? ” 

“ Yes, Bob, in good, plain English.” 

“But — excuse me. Jack — of course I don’t doubt the 
truth of what you say — can you give me Elsie’s exact words ? ” 

“Why, no. Bob,” said Jack, laughing. “I am afraid my 
memory won’t serve me quite so faithfully. But I do remember 
the exact words of one expression she made use of : ‘I always 
thought so much of Bob Hanlon.’ ” 

This was too much for Bob. He jumped up and went to the 
window, anxiously inspecting for a few moments a board fence, 


174 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


then he attempted to take a drink out of the wash pitcher, and 
ended by seizing a newspaper and becoming greatly interested in 
an article on the tariff, which, for some reason, he was trying to 
read upside down. Finally he rose, and trying to yawn (which 
effort was a dismal failure), he called out : “ Mother ! ” 

“Yes, Bob,” answered Mrs. Hanlon.. 

“lam feeling so much better, and so ravenously hungry, 
that I believe I ’ll have to have that toast, and you may double 
the usual allowance, please ! ’ ’ 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


175 


Chapter XXXVIII. 


THE INVESTIGATION. 

HE auspicious day had come. Sun- 
day, the day of rest, was to Elsie 
and Jack a day of excitement and 
anxiety, for exactly at one o’clock 
in the afternoon the assault on the 
vault was to be made and those 
mysterious books asked to yield 
up their secrets. 

Jack’s great anxiety was about 
the combination. He felt reason- 
ably certain that he had got the right 
numbers, but the bare possibility of 
mistake carried with it the dread that 
their efforts to open the door would be 
a failure. But Jack was hopeful and 
Elsie was confident, which were condi- 
tions favorable to success. 

“ Now, then,” said Jack, as he confronted that 
grim vault door, with the tablet in his hand con- 
taining the combination, “let the daring burglary be now 
attempted, and success to us ! A vault broken into on the Sab- 
bath day to detect a crime ! Nice line for a newspaper heading, 
that.” 

Jack gave the knob several quick turns to the right, and 
then carefully made the turns as noted on his memorandum. It 
was a moment of intense anxiety to both Elsie and Jack as the 
last point was reached, and it was with a trembling hand that 
Jack seized the handle and attempted to turn it. Alas, it stub- 
bornly resisted his efforts, and Jack’s heart sank like lead. 

‘ ‘ Sotnething is wrong,” said he. “It may be, and I think 
is, a mistake in the number of revolutions somewhere, for the 
numbers, I feel quite confident, are right.” 



176 


The Business House that jack Built. 


“ I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Elsie, “ if the trouble were 
in the first preliminary turns. Now, I remember one morning I 
was waiting in the office before Mr. Noel came, and when he 
arrived and commenced to open the vault, he stood and talked 
with me for a minute or two, all the time turning this knob to 
the right. It is quite evident that no particular number of revo- 
lutions is required at that stage, so try again, Jack, and give the 
knob at least a dozen turns before commencing on the combina- 
tion.” 

” Of course we won’t give up before supper time,” said Jack, 
” so here goes for felonious attempt number two.” 

Again was the door assaulted, this time with greater deliber- 
ation and care, Elsie looking on with breathless interest. As 
the home point was reached, a sharp little ” click ” was heard, 
which seemed to say “come in,” and Jack obeyed the sum- 
mons, for, as he seized the handle, the bolt yielded and the door 
swung back on its hinges. 

It was an accomplished fact, and Jack’s first impulse was to 
do as he used to do when a boy, to relieve himself of the strain 
of excitement — take a circuit around the room walking on his 
hands and ending up with a few hand-springs. The presence of 
Elsie made this method of relief questionable in point of pro- 
priety, but noticing Mr. Noel’s office jacket hanging over the 
chair. Jack could not resist the impulse to imagine that Mr. Noel 
was under it and to straightway jump over his head. The Jack 
of young manhood had not entirely displaced the Jack of young 
boyhood. 

“Jack, do behave yourself!” commanded Elsie, sharply. 
‘‘We have no time to lose, and besides to-day is Sunday and 
such pranks are out of place. Now unlock this second door, 
and let us get out the books and proceed to business.” 

‘‘ Excuse me, Elsie,” said Jack. ” My boyish impulses got 
the better of me. The transition from doubt to perfect success was 
so sudden. This is the preliminary skirmish, and the victory is 
ours. Now we will mass our forces for the main attack.” 

Jack, taking the key from his pocket, unlocked the door and 
the books of the office were arrayed before them. 

‘‘ Now, have you thought about the most expeditious way of 
going to work? ” asked Elsie. 


177 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“Yes,” answered Jack, “ I think we should first go through 
the cash book, for if there is any crookedness it is most likely to 
appear there.” 

“ But can we both work on it at the same time ? ” 

“ Yes, you take the debit and I ’ll take the credit pages, and 
when either one strikes a suspicious-looking item we will join in 
tracing it up.” 

“ But shall we not first run over the additions ? ” 

“ Most assuredly, for intentional errors in addition offer a 
very ready means for covering up frauds. But there are other 
points we must consider as we proceed. In the accounts with 
individuals there is but little chance for any crooked manipula- 
tions. Just so in bills receivable and bills payable, for we have 
a ready means of tallying their accuracy. But with the repre- 
sentative accounts, merchandise, expense, interest, insurance, 
etc. , there is a chance for inflating them by fictitious charges, 
and these we must be on the lookout for. ’ ’ 

“ Very well. Now where shall we commence ? ” 

‘ ‘ We will commence with the last page in the cash book and 
work back. And here it is — so now to business.” 

And two very earnest heads bent over that cash book in the 
eager search for evidences of fraud. 

The columns on the first pages were rapidly added and pro- 
nounced correct. 

Jack was about to turn over a leaf when Elsie observed : 

‘‘You say an error is not likely to occur in a personal account. 
Jack, but may not false entries be made in Mr. Noel’s own indi- 
vidual account ? He has here charged himself with three hun- 
dred dollars. Why not turn to his account and see if he is 
properly debited ? ’ ’ 

‘‘ That is a good suggestion,” said Jack, “ and we will check 
up his account as we go along. I will bring out the ledger and 
we will examine this little item at once. Possibilities, as well 
as probabilities must be carefully considered.” 

Jack brought out the ledger and index and turned to Mr. 
Noel’s account. 

“Does that item appear to have been posted?” he asked, 
after an examination. 

“ It is so indicated on the cash book,” answered Elsie. 


178 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


“It is not charged to Mr. Noel’s account, that is certain. 
What page of the ledger does it refer to ? ” 

“ Page four hundred and sixty-five.” 

“ Page four hundred an sixty-five is devoted to the account 
with merchandise, and, by George ! here is the three hundred dol- 
lar item posted to merchandise — by mistake, of course.” 

“ Mistake, of course,” echoed Elsie. “ Mr. Noel is so young 
and inexperienced that such mistakes are quite natural.” 

“Well, whether by mistake or design, Mr. Noel owes the 
firm three hundred dollars, and I will draw up an account with 



DOES THAT ITEM APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN POSTED ? ” 


him, debiting him with the mistakes in his own favor and credit- 
ing him with those against himself. Now let us try another 
page.” And the silent work was renewed. 

“Elsie,” asked Jack, shortly, “what is the interest on 
twelve thous^ind dollars for sixty-three days at eight per cent 
per annum ? ’ ’ 

Elsie paused for a moment, and answered : “ One hundred and 
eighty-six dollars.” 

“Just what I make it,” answered Jack, “but it is entered 
here only ninety-four dollars and thirty cents. Now this note 
was paid to us at the bank, and I ’ll just see whether they made 
the mistake or not. ’ ’ 


The Business Hous^e that Jack Built. 179 

Jack made another visit to the vault and brought out the 
bank book. 

“ No,’^ said he, after an examination, “Mr. Noel is in fault 
agaih. This note and interest are both credited up. The note, 
twelve thousand, and the interest, as we have it, one hundred 
and sixty-eight dollars. Ninety-four dollars and thirty cents from 
one hundred and sixty-eight dollars leaves seventy-three dollars 
and seventy cents, which Mr. Noel received in cash from the bank 
and has not shown it on the cash book. We will charge it to his 
account. Elsie, why the mischief do n’t you say something 
exasperating? Why don’t you call me a numb-skull, a thick- 
headed dolt, for not having thought of the possibility of these 
frauds before ? ’’ 

‘ ‘ I supposed I had expressed myself very clearly in that 
direction before,” answered Elsie, coolly. “ But go on, perhaps 
these apparent discrepancies can yet be explained.” 

Again were the pages of the cash book assailed, and for a 
long time nothing was discovered which invited suspicion. But 
at last Elsie looked up and said : 

“Jack, I ’ll now turn the tables on you. Tell me the interest 
on fifteen thousand dollars for ninety-three days at seven per 
cent ? ’ ’ 

Jack made a few figures and answered : “ Two hundred and 
seventy-one dollars and twenty-five cents.” 

“ But Mr. Noel is more liberal in the matter of paying inter- 
est, for he has charged up three hundred and sixty -two dollars 
and ten cents. 

“ We can easily check that up, then, for it is a note paid at 
the bank, and the check book will show how much was paid.” 
The check book was brought into service and the stub readily 
found. 

‘ ‘ The amount of the check drawn in favor of the bank is 
fifteen thousand two hundred and seventy -one dollars and twenty- 
five cents. Mr. Noel has evidently charged up more than he 
has paid out, and he owes the firm the difference between fif- 
teen thousand three hundred and sixty- two dollars and ten cents, 
and sixteen thousand two hundred and seventy-one dollars and 
fifteen cents, which is ninety- one dollars and fifteen cents, and 
which I shall proceed to charge to his account.” 


i8o The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ The work goes bravely on,” remarked Elsie. “ But how 
strange the immaculate Noel has made no mistakes against him- 
self!” 

Jack silently resumed work. 

It was but a short time, however, before he looked up and 
remarked : “I wish you would add this column for me, Elsie. I 
make the merchandise column foot up nine hundred and thirty- 
two dollars and fourteen cents, while Mr. Noel makes it seven 
hundred and thirty-two dollars and fourteen cents.” 

Elsie added up the column in question, and remarked : “You 
are correct. Jack, most assuredly. The footing should be nine 
hundred and thirty-two dollars and fourteen cents.” 

“Then Mr. Noel has two hundred dollars more to account 
for, which I shall proceed to charge,” answered Jack. 

So the work went on. Errors of the same nature repeated 
themselves, and it was a significant fact that every apparent mis- 
take put money into the pocket of Mr. Noel. 

Jack was now thoroughly convinced of the dishonesty of the 
bookkeeper, and he was determined to make a thorough investi- 
gation to ascertain the probable amount of Mr. Noel’s pecula- 
tions. 

“Jack,” said Elsie, “it is getting too dark to work longer, 
so we must adjourn, but to what time ? Every moment is pre- 
cious, just now, I suppose, and we must not wait a whole week 
before we resume our work here, but how are we to do it ? ” 

” There is no way unless we^ work nights, and then it must 
be between the middle of the night and morning. I ’ll tell you 
what I ’ll do, Elsie, I will push the work, myself, coming here 
every night at twelve and working until morning.” 

” You ’ll do nothing of the sort, Jack,” answered Elsie, ” for 
I proposed to assist you in bringing these frauds to light, and I 
intend to be as good as my word.” 

” But you can’t come here in the middle of the night and 
work with me — ” 

” No, but I can come with papa, and he can bring you along 
if he chooses. Papa will be of no use, of course, but he can 
doze on the sofa while we work.” 

“ Bravo, Elsie, I shall be only too glad to have your assistance. 
To-morrow night we will resume our investigation, and by the 


V 


The Business House that Jack Built. i8i 

end of the week there will be some sensational developments, 
you mark my words ! ’ ^ 

“Jack,” said Elsie, very demurely, “ how would it do for me 
to marry Mr. Noel to get back into the family all the money he 
has stolen ? ’ ’ 





The Business House that Jack Built, 


I«2 


Chapter XXXIX. 

THK RAT CAUGHT. 

“ Tricks in all trades but ours.” 

NTENSEUY and earnestly Klsie and Jack 
put in a good half day’s work, and 
when invited to lunch at Mr. Wil- 
liamson’s, by Elsie, Jack felt quite 
hungry enough to accept. 

Mr. Williamson met the two young 
Sabbath-breakers in the hall, and 
eagerly asked them what the result of 
their labors had been. 

“We opened the vault” — com- 
menced Jack. 

Mr. Williamson shook his head 
and sighed. He evidently did not 
quite like the plan of burglarizing his 
own property 

“And we opened Jack’s eyes,” 
continued Elsie. 

‘ ‘ But did you really find any evi- 
dence which would warrant the suspicion of fraud ? ’ ’ asked Mr. 
Williamson anxiously. 

“ Yes, sir,” answered Jack, “ we found sufficient evidence to 
warrant, not only suspicion, but actual guilt.” 

“You astound me!” exclaimed Mr. Williamson. “Come 
into the study. Jack and Elsie, and tell me all about it.” 

They went into the study and the developments of the after- 
noon were related. 

Mr. Williamson was a cautious, careful man, and he was not 
prone to jump too hastily to conclusions. So that while he 
admitted the very damaging nature of the evidence of fraud they 
had found, he was not yet ready to adpit that it conclusively 
proved Mr. Noel’s guilt. 



i83 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“Jack,” said he, “you are a bookkeeper, while I am not. 
Now tell me what grounds you have for supposing that these 
errors you have discovered were intentional. Is it not possible 
for them to occur without Mr. Noel himself discovering them ? ” 

“ There is only one chance of an error in a cash book remain- 
ing undiscovered and not affecting the cash balance,” answered 
Jack, “ and that is where two errors are made of equal amounts, 
one offsetting the other. For instance, a bookkeeper may make 
the debit side of his cash one hundred dollars too large. If he 
makes the same identical mistake on the credit side, and makes 
that foot up one hundred dollars too much, both errors might 
pass unnoticed and the cash balance would not be affected. 
Again, the special column of merchandise on the debit side 
might foot up one hundred dollars too much, and the general 
column one hundred dollars too small. One error would here 
offset the other, but the books would be thrown out of balance 
at the end of the month by any errors made in the general 
columns on either side of the cash book. Now, it is a signifi- 
cant fact that the errors in addition discovered by us were in 
special columns which were not posted until the end of the 
month. Take, for instance, the expense column in the cash 
book. All the items of expense are entered in this column and 
carried forward from^ day to day. Any errors in this column 
would not affect the ledger balance. If a dishonest bookkeeper 
wishes to pocket a hundred dollars, he has only to make this 
column foot up a hundred dollars more than it should, take a 
hundred dollars out of the drawer, and the cash and cash book 
will exactly tally.” 

“ But, Jack, why would a bookkeeper resort to such tricks 
when they are liable to be discovered at any time by any one 
looking over the books ? ” 

“ Because in not one case in a thousand would a person look 
for errors in that channel. If the ledger should be out of bal- 
ance, it would be useless to examine the special column in the 
cash book for the purpose of discovering the error. The general 
columns would be checked and footed, and the ‘ real ’ accounts, 
such as bills receivable and payable and personal accounts, would 
be carefully examined. The dishonest bookkeeper or cashier is 
going to be careful not to make a mistake in the last named 


1 84 


The Busifiess House that Jack Built. 


class of accounts, but will steal from such accounts as merchan- 
dise, expense, interest, etc., where there is no way of tallying 
their accuracy.’’ 

“ But do you intend to confine your examination to the cash 
book?” 

‘‘For the present, yes; for although the other books may 
have been tampered with, the entries which show the actual 
stealing are made in the cash book.” 

‘‘I don’t understand,” said Elsie, ‘‘how any of the other 
books could contain false entries which would enable a book- 
keeper to appropriate money without the fraud showing itself in 
the cash book ? ’ ’ 

“I will give you an example, then : Suppose we buy an 
invoice of goods from Thompson, Brown & Company, to the 
amount of one thousand four hundred and fifty dollars. The 
bookkeeper debits merchandise, and credits Thompson, Brown & 
Company somewhere about the first part of the month. Now 
suppose during the latter part of the month he credits up this 
invoice again. Thompson, Brown & Company now have two 
credits for the same invoice. To balance this account the book- 
keeper makes one actual remittance to the creditors, and later 
in the month another remittance is duly charged in the cash 
book, which goes as far as his own pocket.” 

‘‘Yes, but if Thompson, Brown & Company send a state- 
ment of account, your ledger account will not agree, and will 
show the duplicate invoice.” 

‘‘A dishonest bookkeeper will provide for that. He will 
omit posting to the ledger account the duplicate invoice, and he 
will also take care to omit posting the entry representing the 
remittance. One item will just balance the other, and his trial 
balance will not be affected.” 

‘‘Can it be possible,” exclaimed Mr. Williamson, ‘‘that, 
stealing is reduced to a fine art, and that figures can be so 
manipulated as to serve dishonest purposes? ” 

‘‘It is possible,” answered Jack, ‘‘for an innocent, straight- 
looking column of figures to deceive us. just as we have found it 
possible for a trusted employe, who has been regarded as the 
synonym of integrity and honor, above the faintest whisper of 
suspicion, to be a black-hearted scoundrel who has been associ- 


The Business House that Jack Built. 185 . 

ating with us from year to year under his mask of hypocrisy,, 
and systematically draining the life blood of our business.” 

” It cannot be possible ! ” exclaimed Mr. Williamson. “Your 
evidence, I admit, fastens suspicion upon Mr. Noel, but I can- 
not agree with you that it conclusively proves his guilt. Con- 
tinue your investigations, and if the evidence of fraud accumu- 
lates we will summon Mr. Noel before us, and I will myself ask 
him to establish his innocence or admit his guilt.” 

“The investigation shall go on,” said Jack. “ We have 
impressed you into our secret service, and to-morrow night, I 
think, we can furnish you all the evidence you will need to sub- 
stantiate Elsie’s charges that Mr. Noel is a villain and we have 
been his confiding dupes.” 

Jack then gave the details of their plan for pursuing the 
investigation, and Mr. Williamson consented to kelp them in any 
way in which he might be made useful. 

With bowed head and a sorely troubled mind he sought the 
solitude of his own chamber, not to sleep, but to try to realize 
the terrible truth which was forcing itself upon his mind. He 
was a ruined man, and his ruin had been wrought by one he had 
loved and trusted as a brother. 



i86 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


Chapter XL. 

THE CLIMAX. 

:ry anxious and somewhat nervous 
individuals were Mr. Williamson, 
Elsie and Jack on the Monday fol- 
lowing that eventful Sunday, the 
developments of which have been 
related. 

Mr. Williamson was in a state 
of terrible suspense ; Elsie was 
impatient and eager to renew the 
still hunt, while Jack was strongly 
impressed with a strange present- 
iment that the climax of this sensational affair was near at hand. 

The day wore off, slowly enough it seemed to this anxious 
trio, and Jack accepted Mr. Williamson’s invitation to take tea 
with him. 

It was understood that Mr. Williamson was to be allowed to 
sleep until half-past eleven o’clock, at which time they w^ould 
all three start for the office. But there was no sleep for Mr. 
Williamson that night, and so the evening was spent in efforts to 
kill time. Mr. Williamson paced the floor, Elsie went to the 
piano and sang a few songs, while Jack sat dreamily poking the 
fire in the grate. 

But time jogged along, and at exactly quarter to twelve the 
three watchers became three workers, the office being the scene 
of action. 

There was no difficulty this time in opening the vault door, 
for Jack had the combination indelibly fixed in his mind, and 
the books were soon spread out upon the desks. 

“Now, Mr. Williamson,’’ said Jack, “you make yourself as 
comfortable as you can. , I ’ll build up a fire in the grate, and 
you can draw the sofa up before it and take some rest, if pos- 
sible.” 



The Business House that Jack Built. 187 

“I do n’t yet feel the need of rest,” answered Mr. William- 
son, ” but it will be only a matter of prudence to have a little 
fire in the grate, and as I can attend to that as well as you, your 
time, which is very precious just now, had better be put in on 
the books.” 

” Very well,” assented Jack ;* ” then Elsie and I will proceed 
to business, while you may constitute yourself janitor-in-chief.” 

” In a short time a cheerful fire was crackling in the grate, 
and Elsie and Jack were again poring over the cash book. 

For some time there was dead silence. Several leaves had 
been turned over and no suspicious entries had been discovered. 

Soon, however, Elsie turned back a few leaves hurriedly, 
and then remarked : ” Here is something strange, Jack. Bills 

payable number five thousand six hundred and eighty-four, one 
thousand six hunded and eighty-four dollars and twelve cents, is 
charged up on page three hundred and eighty-four, and the same 
identical entry appears on page three hundred and forty.” 

‘‘That will bear investigation, then,” answered Jack, 
‘‘ although that is a new deal that I was not quite prepared for. 
Yes, you are right, Elsie ; this is a duplicate debit to bills pay- 
able account out of balance, by having two debits for only one 
credit.” 

‘‘But suppose this last entry is not posted to the bills pay- 
able account ? ” suggested Elsie. 

‘‘ Ah ! that may be,” answered Jack, ‘‘and on that point we 
can soon satisfy ourselves. What page of the ledger is that 
posted to, Elsie ? ’ ’ 

‘‘ Page four hundred and sixty-five.” 

‘‘And on page four hundred and sixty-five is the merchan- 
dise account, where this little item is posted,” said Jack, after an 
examination. ‘‘ Villainy, thy name is Noel! Now I ’ll make 
an entry : George Noel, debtor to rascality account, one thous- 
and six hundred and eighty-four dollars and twelve cents.” 

‘‘Eet me look at those items,” said Mr. Williamson, who 
was listening intently to the conversation. 

The entries were pointed out, and Mr. Williamson scruti- 
nized them carefully, hoping he might discover some evidence 
tending to disprove Jack’s conclusions. “Yes,” he observed, 
‘ ‘ there are two items of the bills payable account, but may 


1 88 The Business House that Jack Built. 

there not be two different notes of the same amount ? Such a 
thing is not unusual.” 

We can easily satisfy ourselves as to that,” answered Jack, 
” by referring to the bills payable book ” 

The book was brought from the vault and the list of notes 
examined. 

“Now here,” said Jack, ” is number five thousand six hun- 
dred and eighty-four duly entered, and there is no other note 
here of the same amount. But we have still another test. Mr. 
Noel always pays a note by a check. Now let us see if the 
check book shows any check drawn on that day in favor of the 
holders of that note. Just as I expected,” continued Jack, after 
making the examination. ” There is no check for that amount 
drawn, and so, of course, the money was taken from the drawer 
in currency, and, presumably, dropped into the pocket of Mr. 
Noel.” 

Mr. Williamson sighed and silently returned to his seat in 
front of the grate. 

Jack and Elsie resumed their work. Other errors were found, 
and not one but which represented a loss to the business. The 
books were admirably kept. They were models of neatness, and 
not a page was defaced by a blot or a scratch, but though they 
were fair to look upon they told a tale of villainy when they 
were subjected to the close inspection which our young experts 
were now giving them. As the work progressed and the evi- 
dence accumulated, Mr. Williamson could no longer offer any- 
thing in the way of a defense of Mr. Noel, or claim the possi- 
bility of any explanations being made accounting for these 
shortages in the cash account, which now ran up to something 
over sixty thousand dollars. As the work progressed and the 
evidences of fraud accumulated, the interest deepened and the 
workers took no note of time. Suddenly Elsie started and 
exclaimed : 

‘ Good gracious. Jack, do you notice that it is getting day- 
light ? ” 

” It can’t be possible,” answered Jack, hurriedly taking out 
his watch. ” It is, for a fact. My watch says it ’s morning and 
we must be off. Hark ! is n’t that a footstep in the hall ? It is, 
and it is approaching the office. ’ ’ 


The Business House that Jack Built. 189 

“Suppose,*’ whispered Elsie, turning pale and grasping 
Jack’s arm, “it should be — ” 

Elsie’s surmise was correct, for the door opened and George 
Noel stood before them. 

The scene at this moment presented a striking tableau. Mr. 
Noel’s mind must have taken in the full significance of the situa- 
tion instantaneously, for his eyes dilated and he turned deathly 
pale. Jack turned from the books and defiantly faced him, and 
Mr. Williamson sprang from the sofa and looked anxiously from 
^one countenance to the other, awaiting the next developments. 

Jack was the first to recover his composure and the use of his 
tongue. “Good morning, Mr. Noel,’’ said he, “you may 
notice that we are giving you a little assistance on your books. ’ ’ 

“I notice,’’ retorted Mr. Noel, “that under cover of night 
you have broken into the vault and are now meddling with the 
books. What the meaning of this strange proceeding is I am at 
a loss to conjecture.’’ 

“ You shall not long be left in doubt, then,’’ answered Jack. 
“These books contain the history of a swindler. They show up 
the dishonest practices of a double-faced scoundrel, a smooth- 
tongued, lying hypocrite. We have become so much interested 
in this little story of fraud that, as you see, we have sat up 
nights to read it.’’ 

Mr. Noel raised his trembling hand to his head and hoarsely 
exclaimed : “ Do you mean to insinuate, sir — ’’ 

“ No insinuation at all, sir,’’ answered Jack, coolly. “There 
is no need of making insinuations, or of mincing matters in any 
way. George Noel, you are a thief ! You have been systemati- 
cally stealing from this house, and have been attempting to 
cover up your tracks by means of false entries in the books. 
Your little game has been discovered. Your frauds have been 
ferreted out. Now what have you to say for yourself? ’’ 

“ What have I to say ? ’’ shouted Mr. Noel, fiercely. “ I say 
that it ’s all a lie ! It ’s a diabolical plot against me, and you, 
Jack Wharton, are trying to accomplish my ruin ! ’’ 

“ Admitted,’’ assented Jack. 

“Then this is the way you shall profit by it ! ’’ exclaimed 
Mr. Noel. The barrel of a revolver gleamed in the morning 
light, and the muzzle was directed towards Jack’s head. Before 


190 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


his nervous finger could press the trigger, however, a heavy 
glass inkstand came flying over Jack’s shoulder, and striking 
Mr. Noel squarely in the forehead, laid him stunned and bleed-^ 
ing on the floor. 

Jack and Mr. Williamson rushed up to the prostrate body, 
Mr. Williamson securing the revolver while Jack raised the 
head of his assailant to ascertain the extent of his injuries. 

“ Have I killed him ? ” asked Elsie, in a frightened whisper, 
as she looked upon the gory face. 

“No, Elsie,’’ replied Jack, grimly. “I’m afraid you 
haven’t. This liquid which is flowing so freely is not blood, 
but red ink from the bottle which you so opportunely hurled. 
No,’’ continued Jack, examining the injured part, “ this blow 
has only produced an ugly bruise. It has stunned him a little 
but he will soon recover.’’ 

Jack was correct, for in a few moments Mr. Noel opened his 
eyes, raised himself up and looked around in a confused man- 
ner. 

He raised his hand to his forehead, noticed the red ink stains 
as he brought it down, and shuddered. There was a moment of 
silence, and then he rose to his feet and, turning to Mr. Wil- 
liamson, observed : “ Mr. Williamson, do you, too, believe that I 
am guilty of the charges just now made against me ? ” 

“Mr. Noel,’’ answered Mr. Williamson, gravely, “until 
this moment I had a faint hope that the fearful array of evidence 
which has been brought against you could be explained and your 
innocence established. Now that with my own eyes I have seen 
you attempt a murder, I cannot withhold the conviction that you 
are guilty.’’ 

“And — Elsie, I suppose you, too, are in the plot against 
me?” 

“ If you mean by that,” answered Elsie, “ that I am assist- 
ing to ferret out your iniquity, you are quite right.” 

“Then,” said Mr. Noel, with a groan, “all is lost! all is 
lost I Yes, you are right, I am an embezzler ; I have taken the 
funds belonging to you and I have appropriated them to my own 
use. But I am not a common thief. I was not actuated by self- 
ish, mercenary motives. I was playing a desperate game and I 
resorted to desperate means. I have not squandered or wasted 


The Business House that Jack Built. 19 ] 

what I have appropriated. I have got every dollar of it, and in 
my own way I intended to restore it all to you. For the last five 
years I have loved your daughter, Mr. Williamson, and knowing 
her affection for you, I planned a scheme of getting your business 
into such a condition that Elsie would be forced to choose 
between me and her father’s ruin. I argued with myself that it 
was only one of the strategems of love, and that every dollar of 
the money I had abstracted from you would go where you. 
wanted it to — into the hands of your daughter.” 

“Nonsense!” interrupted Elsie, impatiently. “ This story 
is in perfect keeping with your other villainous schemes. If you 
want to prove to us now that you did not then, and do not now, 
care for the money you stole, suppose you now restore it.” 

“ I accept your challenge to prove just how much I care for 
the money I have — abstracted,’* answered Mr. Noel. “ Allow 
me to enter the vault, please. Here,” said he, as he returned, 
carrying a tin box in his hand, “ are securities to the amount of 
over ninety thousand dollars, and they represent just what has 
been appropriated from the business — no more, no less. You 
want me to demonstrate to you that I place no value on this 
money except as a means to the end I had in view ? Very well, 
I will do so.” 

He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the box. Tak- 
ing up several packages, he continued : “Here are government 
bonds and other securities payable to bearer, and they are just as 
good as so much cash. Eet me show you how much I value 
them. Eet me show you how much I care for wealth when the 
object that inspired the accumulation of that wealth cannot be 
secured.” 

He went to the blazing grate and emptied the contents of the 
box upon the glowing embers. Then seizing the poker he 
turned his back to the fire and raising his weapon exclaimed, 
with a malignant triumph : “ Now the ruin of all is complete ! 
My plans are frustrated, but what have you made ? The house 
of John Williamson in ten days will be in the hands of the 
sheriff. Do n’t stir a step in this direction, any one, if you value 
your life I Just stand still and watch the only means of saving 
you from ruin going up the chimney. Elsie, I have met the test 
you put me to. I have showed how much I cared for the money 


192 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


I stole for your sake, and I have shown the depth of my love by 
the intensity of my hate in destroying the last prop of this 
house. ’ ’ 

Mr. Williamson sank into a chair and groaned. Elsie leaned 
over the desk and sobbed. Jack looked on with a queer smile. 
He had made no effort to recover the securities, and appeared to 
exhibit no regret as the last flame died away, leaving a handful 
of ashes to represent ninety thousand dollars. 

“Well, Mr. Noel,” he observed, “you have taken your 
revenge, and in doing so you have destroyed your only means of 
making restitution. You have blackened an already dark crime, 
and have sunk yourself as deep in infamy as it is possible for a 
human being to get. Still, I, for one, cannot forget that you 
have rendered the house a great many years of faithful service, 
and while claiming that you merit the severest punishment for 
your crime the law can inflict, I should much prefer to have this 
terrible affair stop right here.” 

‘ ‘ Do you mean that you would not have any criminal pro- 
ceedings instituted against me ? ” asked Mr. Noel. 

“That is jiist what I mean,” answered Jack. “Your 
punishment, whatever it might be, could not restore a dollar’s 
worth of property you have taken. So, so far as I am con- 
cerned, I am willing that you should go out into the world 
again a free man, but upon one condition.” 

“ Name it.” 

“ It is that you make a bill of sale to the house of the securi- 
ties which represented what you have abstracted.” 

“ But that is absurd. Make a bill of sale of property already 
destroyed ? Of what possible use can it be to you ? ’ ’ 

“It will be evidence that you made restitution, and paid 
back to us the money you had taken. I presume you have a 
list of the securities ? ” 

“ Certainly,” answered Mr. Noel. “ I have it in my pocket 
memorandum book.” He took the book from his pocket and 
remarked : 

‘ ‘ This is a novel request for you to make, but, as it purchases 
my liberty, why should I object ? ” 

Taking a sheet of paper from the desk he made- ou the bill 
of sale, and handing it to Jack, remarked : 


193 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

“ It is done, and I presume I am now at liberty to go out into 
the world unmolested ? ” 

“ You may go,” responded Jack, “and I earnestly hope you 
will make good use of the years which your deeds have justly 
forfeited to the state.” 

“ Then farewell, all ! ” were the last words spoken to them by 
George Noel as he turned on his heel and rapidly left the room. 

“Jack,” said Elsie, “you are a riddle and I can’t solve you. 
What on earth were your motives, first in allowing Mr. Noel to 
destroy those securities, and next in allowing him to go scot 
free for conveying to you what he had just destroyed ? ” 

“ Beg pardon, Elsie,” answered Jack, “ but that is just what 
he didn’t convey.” 

“I do n’t understand you.’’ 

“ No, I presume not, but this bill of sale conveys to the house 
ninety thousand dollars in certain government bonds and other 
good securities.” 

‘ ‘ Certainly, those that he burned before our eyes ? ’ ’ 

“Don’t be too sure about that,” said Jack, coolly. “You 
had only Mr. Noel’s word that those packages represented those 
securities, and you ought to know that any one who will steal is 
likely to lie.” 

“Jack, don’t tantalize us,” cried Elsie, impatiently. “If 
you have any good thing kept back do let us know it at once ! ” 

“ Very well, seeing is believing,” answered Jack, as he rose 
and entered the vault. Returning he brought with him a tin 
box exactly the size of the one opened and rifled by Mr. Noel. 

“ Now, Elsie,” said Jack, as he opened the box, “you take 
the bill of sale and check the items as I call them off.” 

“ O, Jack, you dear, dear fellow ! ” exclaimed Elsie, raptur- 
ously. “ I see it all now ! ” 

“But I don’t,” said Mr. Williamson, much bewildered, 
“and I must ask for an explanation.” 

“ It is easily explained,” said Jack. “I knew that Mr. 
Noel kept valuable securities in this box, and after we started on 
our investigation and the evidences of fraud accumulated, I 
thought this box would be a handy thing to attach when the 
proper time came. So yesterday, when Mr. Noel was at dinner 
I picked the lock of his box, took out all the securities and 


194 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


placed them in a box of my own, which I locked in my own 
private drawer. I then took the different envelopes and wrap- 
pers and made up dummies or packages of waste paper and 
replaced them carefully in Mr. Noel’s box. So you see the 
ninety thousand dollar bonfire he fancied he was indulging him- 
self in reduces itself down to the sum total of about four cents.” 

“Jack,” exclaimed Mr. Williamson, grasping our hero’s 
hand warmly, while the tears of gratitude rolled down his 
cheeks, “you were always a noble fellow, and now you are 
simply grand ! ” 

Jack rubbed his eyes, swallowed a few times, and then 
remarked : ‘‘ But if it had n’t been for Elsie, where would Jack 

be now ? If what I have done is grand, how shall we describe 
what she has done ? ” 

“Tut, tut, Jack,” interrupted Elsie, “what have I done to' 
entitle me to so much credit ? ’ ’ 

“Only saved my life, that is all,” answered Jack ; “ but that 
is a small affair, of course.” 

“Jack, you are a simpleton ! ” said Elsie. And Jack began 
to think he was. 



The Business House that Jack Built. 


195 


Chapter XLI. 

MR. NOEL’S SUCCESSOR. 

N the day following the stirring events nar- 
rated in the last chapter, Mr. Williamson, 
Jack and Tom Staples were in conference 
in the private office. 

“Tom,” said Jack, “I am going to 
give you a startling piece of news. ’ ’ 

“Well, I think I ’ll eventually recover 
from the effects of the shock,” replied the 
imperturbable Tom, ‘ ‘ so let the blow 
descend.” 

“ Mr. Noel has left us.” 

“Ah!” 

“ Permanently.” 

“ Exactly.” 

Tom made it‘ a rule never to be surprised at anything, but 
he rubbed the top of his head with just a shade of perplexity. 

“ You do n’t seem much astonished, Tom,” observed Jack. 

“Astonished! why no,” returned Tom. “Mr. Noel has 
talked for a longtime about leaving.” 

“ Indeed ! I was not aware of it.” 

“ Yes, you see Mr. Noel has been nursing an idea that he 
had a claim on a large estate in some foreign country. He has 
mentioned it to me frequently. Did he tell you where he was 
going?” 

“No, he has not even left his future address.” 

. “That’s it, then. You may depend upon it, he has been 
getting some fresh evidence, and is now off to prove up the 
claim. Just like Mr. Noel; no noise about what he does — 
quiet, mysterious and hard to understand. But he knows what 
he is about, you may be certain.” 

“ You think, then, you have surmised the correct reason for 
his leaving so suddenly ? ” 



196 


The Business House that Jack Built, 


“No surmise about it,“ answered Tom, stoutly. “I am 
positive my theory is correct. What other reason could there 
possibly be ?“ 

“True, true,” replied Jack, “your ready penetration does 
you credit, Tom. And now, then, having accounted in a satis- 
factory manner for Mr. Noel’s sudden departure, we are left 
with another fact which demands our immediate attention, and 
that is that we now have no bookkeeper.” 

“That situation won’t go begging very long,” answered 
Tom. 

“ No, I don’t think it will, for we have settled on Mr. Noel’s 
successor already.” 

“Quick work,” commented Tom. “Hope you satisfied 
yourself that the party is thoroughly qualified for the position.” 
“We are well satisfied on that score.” 

“ And that he is industrious and has correct habits of life ? 

“ No doubt on those points.” 

“ And with an experience in this line of business? ” 

“ lyong and thorough.” 

“ And finally, as honest as a straightedge ? ” 

“Even so.” 

“Then hang me ! ” exclaimed Tom, slapping his knee, “if 
you have n’t selected Ned Holman ! ” 

“Wrong this time,” answered Jack, laughing. “Guess 
again, Tom. You are getting ‘ warm.’ ” 

“ You certainly do n’t mean Bob Hanlon ? ” 

“No, indeed,” answered Jack, sadly. “Poor Bob! I’m 
afraid he has done his last day’s work in this office.” 

“Is Bob so bad off as that? ” asked Tom, with great con- 
cern. 

“ Yes, there is no use of withholding the truth longer. Bob 
is dying.” 

“ Is it possible. Jack,” asked Mr. Williamson, “ that Bob has 
sunk so rapidly ? ” 

“Yes, Bob has failed very rapidly within the last few days, 
and I can see plainly that the end is not very far off. Why 
here, Tom, where are you going in such a hurry?” — for Tom 
had turned on his heel and was hurrying off. 

“lam going to see Bob Hanlon,” answered Tom. 


The Business House that Jack Built. 197 

“ But wait ; I haven’t told you whom we have selected for 
our bookkeeper.” 

“ Well, as it doesn’t concern me, I ’m not dying to know.” 

” But it does concern you, Tom, for you are the man we have 
chosen for the place.” 

Tom fumbled in his pocket for a cigar, but finding nothing 
nearer to it than a pencil, he bit the point off, struck a match and 
lit the other end. Discovering that as a narcotic agent this was 
not a success, he rubbed the top of his head and remarked : 

” Gentlemen, I thank you for this mark of your appreciation, 
and if you think I can fill the bill I am entirely at your service. 
Smoke, Jack ? ” But as Tom held out only a wooden toothpick, 
Jack did not impose upon the new bookkeeper’s generosity. 

“ But poor Bob ! ” said Tom, recollecting himself. ” I must 
be off at once. Why haven’t I called on him before?” And 
he dashed out of the room, wiping his eyes and trying very hard 
to cough. 

” The matter is settled more easily than I thought it would 
be,” observed Mr. Williamson. ” I was afraid it would be diflS- 
cult to persuade Tom to accept the place.” 

“I must own I had my doubts on that score myself,” 
answered Jack. *' Tom will make us a good bookkeeper. He 
has given us many years of faithful service without asking or 
expecting any advancement. We know that what he has under- 
taken to do he has done thoroughly and well, and this habit of 
thoroughness will only be more clearly manifested in the more 
important duties he now assumes.” 

“The books could not be in better hands, I am satisfied of 
that,” said Mr. Williamson, “but my mind is relieved on 
another score. Tom has a theory accounting for Mr. Noel’s 
sudden departure. I was at a loss to know what explanation 
could be offered for this sudden change, and I was afraid some 
suspicions of the real truth would be set afloat. We can now 
refer all inquiries to Tom.” 

“Yes,” said Jack, ‘‘and Tom will maintain his theory with 
as much positiveness and force as if, in place of it, he had facts 
backed up by an afi&davit.” 


198 


The Business House that Jack Built, 


Chapter XXII. 

bob’s I.EGACY. 



ow, DOCTOR, tell me the truth about my poor boy. 
Can you give me the faintest ray of hope ? ’ ’ 

It was Mrs. Hanlon who asked the grave 
physician this anxious question, and read his 
countenance before his lips could utter a reply. 

“No, Mrs. Hanlon, it is useless to deceive 
you by giving you even the faintest hope of any 
improvement in your son’s condition. He is 
sinking rapidly, and in my opinion cannot sur- 
vive the night.’’ 

“ O, my poor boy,” moaned Mrs. Hanlon, 

‘ ‘ why must he be taken from me ? He is my 
all. The world will be empty and desolate when Bob is gone. 
And he was always so good, so gentle and kind ! Even as a 
babe he was sweet-tempered and affectionate, and as he grew 
older he developed qualities which made everybody love him. 
Poor fellow ! he never had an enemy in the w^orld — he could n’t 
have, for he had rather suffer a thousand wrongs than do one 
himself. And now he must die and leave me ! But not for long 
— no, no, not for long. I shall soon follow my darling boy — 
very soon, I hope.” 

“ Your loss is a severe one,” answered the doctor, “and I 
can offer but cold words of consolation. Bob is dying and he 
knows it, but he is cheerful and resigned, even happy. Mrs. 
Hanlon, you think the fate that takes your son from you a cruel 
one, but if you had witnessed a scene that I did this morning 
you would look at your affliction in a different light. I was 
called upon to visit a criminal this morning who is in jail under 
sentence of death. He had attempted suicide, and I was called 
upon to bind up his wounds and bring him back to life long 
enough to have it taken from him by due process of law. While 
I was in the prison his mother came to bid him farewell. I have 


The Business House that Jack Built 199 

witnessed many death-bed scenes, but I hope I may be spared a 
repetition of what I saw and heard this morning. A faithful, 
loving mother tried in vain to get a response to her pleadings, 
her affectionate entreaties, to her hardened son to say only one 
kind word to her on this last day she should ever see him. But 
his nature, degraded and brutalized by a course of debaucheries, 
would not be softened even by a mother’s tears. He repulsed 
her and bitterly accused her of being in some manner the cause 
of his downfall. She left the impenitent, depraved monster — 
ah ! with how much more cause to sink under a broken heart 
than you, Mrs. Hanlon ! ” 

“Yes, yes, doctor, I know I ought to be thankful that Bob 
leaves the world as pure and unspotted as when he entered it, 
and I will try to be resigned, but oh, why couldn’t he have 
lived to do the great great work he planned to do ? ’’ 

Dear, confiding soul, she was a mother, and with a mother’s 
blind love she would die as she had always lived, with full faith 
in the power and greatness of an ideal son. 

It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was slowly sinking, 
when around the bedside of the dying were gathered Mrs. Han- 
lon, Elsie and Jack. The cheeks were sunken and pallid, but all 
the life that was passing away seemed centered in Bob’s eyes, 
for they shone with an unnatural brightness. 

“ Jack,’’ said he, “ I ’m so glad you are here ; and, Elsie, this 
is so kind of you. You are here to see the sinking of the 
wreck. The waters are rising around it and it will soon go 
down. But it was a poor bark, wrongly constructed and never 
in a seaworthy condition.’’ 

“ Do n’t talk that way, dear Bob,’’ said Jack, gently. “The 
world was better for your living in it, and your life will always 
be a sweet memory in the minds of the many who knew and 
loved you.” 

“ Thank you. Jack,’’ said Bob, “ it is just possible that as an 
example to others my life has been productive of some good 
results. It may be that good can be done by pointing out to 
others the rocks on which I stranded. Now, Jack, I have a 
request to make of you. This poor body of mine will soon be 
tenantless. Bury it under some strong and vigorous tree, where 
it may soon be assimilated, and the dead spring into life again in 


200 


The Business House that Jack Built. 

its waving branches. It is a comforting thought that in the 
form of a green tree Bob Hanlon may be more useful in death 
than he was in life. Will you do this for me, Jack ? 

“Yes, yes,” answered Jack, “your last wishes shall be 
faithfully observed.” 

Mrs. Hanlon was kneeling at the bedside, her face buried 
in her hands, trying to stifle her sobs. 

“ Bob,” said Elsie, “is there no message you wish to leave 
me for your mother ? ’ ’ 

The light again flashed up into Bob’s eyes as they met 
Elsie’s. 

“Yes, Elsie,” he answered, “be a daughter to her, and her 
loss will be more than made good. Elsie, I am almost gone. 
Let my last moments on earth be the most blissful. Will you 
please — kiss me ? ” 

Elsie, the tears raining down her cheeks, bent down and 
pressed her lips to those of her dying friend. A smile of per- 
fect content, the most serene happiness, settled on Bob’s coun- 
tenance. He reached out both hands and seized the hands of 
Jack and Elsie. Putting them together, he whispered faintly, 
“ Take my legacy. Jack.” His head sank back on his pillow 
and all was over. 

“ O, Jack,” exclaimed Elsie, “ he is gone ! ” 

She turned her tearful eyes up to his with an expression in 
them Jack never saw before. On the impulse of the moment, 
and scarcely realizing what he was doing, he passed his arm 
around her waist and drew her gently towards him. With a sob, 
Elsie buried her face on Jack’s breast, and he realized then that 
he was already in possession of Bob’s legacy. 



The Business House that Jack Built* 


201 


Chapter XLIII. 

AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE. 



HR EE years have passed away, and the 
“Business House that Jack Built” 
still prospers. But Jack has built 
him another house, and has persuaded 
the “cat that caught the rat” in the 
house, whose fortunes we have described, 
to come and guard his home. Yes, Jack 
and Elsie have a nice little nest. Elsie 
has kept her promise, and is a daughter 
to Mrs. Hanlon, for the old lady makes 
her home with them, and they could n’t 
conceive how it would be possible to get along without her. It 
is a fine summer afternoon, and Jack has concluded to remain at 
home, and is now sv^inging in a hammock under a fine tree on 
which is carved on the bark : 


Zo tbe dlbcmor^ of IRobert Ibanlon. 

Elsie is reading to Jack, and they stop ever and anon to 
agree or disagree with the author. Suddenly their attention is 
arrested by a well-loaded wagon, evidently from the country, 
which stops at the front gate. The driver alights and takes 
from the wagon several large crocks, a firkin and several well- 
filled baskets. He then enters the gate and approaches Jack and 
Elsie, a broad grin illuminating his sunburnt face. 

“ How d ’ye do, Mr. Wharton ? ” he exclaims, rushing up to 
Jack and shaking his hand violently, applying at the same time 
a most painfully muscular pressure. “Don’t know me, I 
s’ pose ? ” 

“ I confess you have the advantage of me,” answers Jack. 

A loud, hearty laugh greets the reply. 

“ I knowed you would n’t — I just knowed it ! Say ! Sup- 
pose I give the countersign, and then see if you do n’t remember 


■202 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


me.” And striking an attitude and straightening his face down 
to a most unnatural solemnity, he proclaims : “Hear ye ! hear 
ye ! the Council of the Sacred Order of the Red Right Hand is 
now opened ! ’ ’ 

“ Well, upon my word,” exclaims Jack, a light breaking in 
upon his mind, “ if this isn’t Dick Silvers ! ” 

At this Dick doubles himself up and makes the echoes ring 
with his laughter. He insists upon shaking hands again, and is 
then introduced by Jack to Elsie. 

“No introduction is necessary,” says Elsie. “I remember 
Dick very well. And now sit down and tell us all about your- 
self. We know you are prospering, for your face shows it, but 
give an account of yourself, anyway.” 

“Just what I came for,” answers Dick. “You know when 
I was banished to the country for — that, you know,” curving 
one finger significantly to represent a hook. “ Well, for four 
years, don’t you think, I took it all for dead earnest, and I 
stayed right at home and worked like a beaver. Well, sir, after 
awhile I began to like farming, and about two years ago I had 
a chance to buy a little farm on easy terms. You ’ve no idea 
how it made me get up and stir my stumps when I knew that 
I had a home of my own to pay for, and, by gracious ! I’ve 
come out all right — good luck, splendid crops, tip-top health, 
and a good conscience. I tell you, Mr. Jackton — I should say, 
Mr. Wharton — that little scare you gave me years ago was the 
making of me.” 

“ I am glad to hear it,” answers Jack. “It is not always 
that the issue of practical jokes is so fortunate.” 

“Well, I heard about your marriage, and I said to myself, 
now I ’ll show them just what kind of a farmer I am when I get 
things in shape. So to-day I put up a few crocks of the sweet- 
est butter you ever tasted, a few baskets of the most delicious 
grapes you ever put in your mouth, and a barrel of choice 
apples, and I want you to take all these with the compliments 
of Dick Silvers.” 

“We shall certainly accept your bounteous gift,” answers 
Jack, “ and extend to you our warmest thanks.” 

“ Let me unite in the acknowledgement,” adds Elsie. “ The 
very fact that these good things come from the farm of our old 


The Business House that Jack Built. 203 . 

friend, Dick Silvers, will give them an extra flavor. But, Dick, 
are you going through life alone ? We have n’t heard you say 
anything about a Mrs. Silvers.” 

” I ’m a single man, as yet,” with great stress on the last 
two words, “but the neighbors, mind you, will have it that the 
school teacher and your humble servant seem to be on very good 
terms, and my private opinion is,” lowering his voice and 



COME AND SEE THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. 


















becoming very confidential, ‘‘that they are right. You see I 
am a school director — yes, sir, old Dick Silvers is actually a 
school director — and I don’t hesitate to say that the people of 
our neighborhood would as soon suspect the minister of being 
an old circus clown as to suspect me of ever having been a 
crook. But I must be off”. By the way, Mrs. Wharton, would 
you let me look at that ring a moment ? I am going to the 


204 


The Business House that Jack Built. 


jeweler’s to-day and I am going to invest in a ring. It may 
come handy some day. Thank you. Now, then, I want to 
notify you that some time in the fall I want you both to come 
and see me. We expect to cut a cake about that time and I 
want you to sample it.” 

“We shall certainly come, Dick,” answers Elsie, laughing. 
“ I am anxious to meet that pretty school teacher.” 

“ You shall see her, never fear that. But, dear me, I must 
beoif,” and shaking hands heartily with Elsie and Jack, Dick 
bustles away full of energy and importance. 

Jack goes to the gate to take care of the supplies, and Elsie 
wanders off to a little nook where a little curly head is seen 
Bobbing about a pile of building blocks, giving evidence that 
the aforesaid head is engaged in planning some architectural 
structure. Elsie catches up the little builder, and extorting a 
kiss from the ripe, red lips, cries out, “ Papa ! ” 

“ Well, dear,” responds the devoted husband. 

And Elsie’s clear voice comes ringing merrily over the lawn : 
“ Come and see the House that Jack Built ! ” 


THE END. 




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